Vow Beyond Death
by R. J. Niner
Summary: Miku is a well known detective who can see spirits. When a client named Len comes to ask her to investigate a murder case, little does she know what she's actually getting into as she comes across hidden secrets and vows. Can Miku solve this strange case? MikuxLen. Possible violence and swearing later. Enjoy!
1. The Detective and the Client

It was the middle of May, just a few days away from the sweltering summer season that always came down upon the small town of Rivera. Miku was sitting at her office desk, dressed in a loose white blouse, her teal hair tied up in two long pigtails as usual, once in a while fanning herself lazily. She was staring out the window, out at the streets below, where people bustled to and fro from the streets, already dressed like it was summer.

May was one of Miku's most favorite times of year. It wasn't as hot as summertime was, but it was no longer as cold as winter either. Even better, it was a time of new beginnings, the start of a new season and the beginning of the cycle of life. She looked forward to the things that might happen in May. Last year she'd earned her reputation as the town's best detective from an exceptionally difficult case. This year she was determined to keep that reputation.

There was a small knock on the door. Miku looked up in surprise. It was only seven in the morning. Clients didn't usually come knocking at her door then, but she was here to help them, no matter what time they came. She called out, "You can come in."

The door creaked open to reveal a young man, his short blonde hair tied back in a small ponytail. Miku tried to suppress her surprise. He was wearing a long black coat with a collar that almost covered his mouth even though it was too warm to wear an overcoat. His long bangs almost covered his bright blue eyes that glanced around the small office like he was nervous.

"Welcome to the Vocaloid Detective Agency. Is there anything I can help you with?" Miku asked in a professional voice, getting up and inviting the boy to join her on the couch. He cast Miku a quick glance before hurriedly going over to sit down as Miku prepared two cups of coffee.

"I'd like to have you investigate a murder for me," the boy quickly added after thanking Miku for the coffee.

"Murder?" Miku repeated, her surprise returning. Usually she looked into cases of theft and the sort. Murder was always rare. She cleared her throat, getting over her initial shock and asked, "Well, of course I'd be happy to help you. I'm Hatsune Miku. What might your name be?"

"Kagamine Len," came the tart reply. The boy seemed to have gotten over his initial nervousness, completely comfortable in her cozy office.

"So what kind of case is this?" Miku asked, sipping her coffee. She always put milk and sugar in her coffee. She liked the sweet taste. She observed that her client didn't touch his cup.

"Someone that I…knew died recently, and I think he might've been murdered," Len admitted.

"Why not go to the police then?" Miku inquired.

Len looked a little troubled. He mumbled, "Well, I don't really trust the police, and I heard you were the best detective in town, Miss Hatsune."

"Please, call me Miku," Miku stressed. She was slightly honored that Len would choose her over the police, but that only made sure that she had to work even harder to make sure she solved Len's case.

"So you will take the case?" Len asked gingerly as if he was afraid Miku would reject it.

"Of course. That's what the agency's here for. When would you like us to start investigating?"

Len was about to reply when a loud shout echoed through the building. Kaito was shouting, "Miku! Where the hell did you put my stash of ice cream?"

Miku snapped her head towards the door out of annoyance. Out of all his days to make an outburst, he chose this day? A moment later, Kaito burst through the door, an equally annoyed expression on his face. Still dressed in sweatshirt and pants, his blue hair a mess, Miku could tell he had just gotten out of bed.

"Kaito!" Miku hissed, glaring at him. "Can't you see we have a client? And how do I know where you put your ice cream?"

A look of confusion spread on Kaito's face as he glanced in Len's direction. He frowned and said, "Miku, I know you love talking with your imaginary friends, but that's still not an excuse for hiding my food!"

"Ha? What are you talking about?" Miku asked, glancing over at Len. Immediately, her eyes widened in shock.

The boy had vanished without a word, leaving behind nothing but a warm cup of coffee and an open window.

* * *

Len cursed his bad luck. He had finally managed to get a meeting alone with the famous detective Hatsune Miku, only to have it ruined by some other detective in the agency. Any person was fine, to tell the truth. Anyone could have taken his case and solved it for him, but for some reason, he felt like if it wasn't Hatsune Miku who solved his case, he'd never be satisfied.

The streets were crowded during this time of day. Of course, no one had even bothered to give him a sideways glance when he slid open the window and leapt out into the busy street. Then again, he'd always been somewhat a shadow. People had never really noticed him much.

He ducked under a grove of trees and found himself in a park. Children were running about, chasing each other while their parents watched on. It was funny how everyone seemed to crowd in such a small place on the weekends. He could almost see him and his sister as little kids, running about just as cheerfully as the children in the park were right now.

He unconsciously lifted his collar up over his mouth again, lowering his head as some people passed. They couldn't see him, for sure, but he was still wary of them. Just any of those innocent looking people who were bustling about could be a killer. The killer.

"Boo!" someone shouted, making Len jump. It was only a kid, laughing as he found his friend hiding under a park bench. Len winced when the kid who was hiding shuddered in surprise and hit his head on the bench. That'd happened too many times to him as a kid, so much that his sister even stopped laughing when it happened as if she was truly worried about his well-being.

He shuffled along the sidewalk, passing people, wandering the park. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular. He just wanted to waste some time before he attempted to start solving the murder himself. Len didn't think the detective would help him after what had happened. That didn't really matter. He wasn't letting that crime go unpunished.

After what seemed like forever, he wandered back into the streets, slightly annoyed by the enormous crowd of people. Just why did people like going outside all at once on the weekends? He suddenly missed his nice lonely room with the cool air conditioning. He'd pick that a million times over this.

Suddenly, his eyes caught a flash of teal. He jerked his head towards the girl. There was no doubt about it. It was the one and only Hatsune Miku, the only person who could possibly help him. But he'd already shamed himself in front of her for running away just because her partner had intruded in. He couldn't ask for her help.

Len withdrew from his thoughts and returned to reality. Something was bothering him. He glanced at Hatsune Miku again. The detective was staring at him intently, her sea green eyes burning with a fierce passion. He gave a start and stumbled backwards, alarm flitting through his whole body.

She'd seen him. She just had to see him. Len gulped as he watched her push through the crowd, waving to her friends. She was heading for him.

Without another thought, Len ran for it. He suddenly didn't want to meet up with the detective. He wished he'd never disturbed her in the morning. Len regretted getting her involved.

_See what you've done? _A voice whispered in the back of his head. _Just who will you blame if someone else dies because of this again?_

Len ground his teeth together and ran faster, trying to lose the detective, who was now hot on his heels. Just why was she chasing him? He wished she'd just stop.

After all, he really didn't need, much less want, another death on his hands.

* * *

Miku was glad she had put on jeans and sneakers before heading out with Kaito and Luka to get lunch. Man, her client (she vaguely remembered that his name was Kagamine Len) could run fast. What was stranger yet was that he seemed unhindered by the crowd of people blocking his way. He just seemed to run straight through them, while Miku had to push through all the people, shouting apologies along the way.

She didn't really know why she was chasing Len. Maybe it was because she felt like she had to solve every case that her clients brought to her. Maybe it was just because their private meeting had been ruined by an ice cream-deprived Kaito, who had so ignorantly blamed her for stealing his breakfast even though they were right there in the fridge and she wanted to make it up to Len.

Len took a left into an alley way, his coat trailing behind him. Miku was already panting. Just how did he manage to run so fast even with that heavy coat? She slipped into the alley behind him. He was just ahead, blending well into the darkness if it wasn't for his bright yellow hair. With the absence of people, Miku sped up for the last sprint. She hadn't been a track star for nothing.

Len cast her a backwards glance. He couldn't understand how the detective not only hadn't given up, she'd even sped up so that she was just a few paces behind him. He considered suddenly stopping in his tracks but decided against it. It wouldn't help him anyways.

Just at that moment, Miku leapt forward to grab onto Len's wrist. He yelped out in surprise and tumbled backwards, landing right on the ground.

Miku just stared at Len in shock, looking from Len to her hand. It hadn't been an illusion. She was a hundred percent sure that just then, her own hand had passed through Len's arm, overcoat and everything.

"Y-you…" Miku stammered, for once unable to organize her thoughts. She experienced this kind of stuff on a daily basis, but the shock was a bit too much for her to handle.

Len sat frozen on the ground, his mouth slightly open out of shock and fear. He'd been lucky enough to find out that the great detective could see him, but his luck ended there. This definitely had not been in his agenda.

Finally, Miku let out a deep breath and said, "You're a ghost, aren't you?"

Len cringed at the words. They were still harsh to hear. He muttered, "That doesn't matter."

"Then why were you running away from me before?" Miku asked, holding her hand out to help him up before remembering that her very action contradicted her assumption.

Len slowly got up and replied, "Because I decided I don't need your help anymore."

"That's not a very good reason," Miku argued. "Human or ghost, I'll always help my clients. The fact that you came to me must mean that you need something, right? That's why you couldn't go to the police."

Len just stared at the ground, beginning to inch backwards into the alley. Miku noticed his retreat and added, "I'd be happy to help you. I'd just like you to tell me what you actually want to learn the truth about."

Len stopped and looked at her. Her eyes were still burning brightly even in the dark alley, full of determination and everything else he didn't have. He didn't know what to do. If he let her help, something bad might happen again. If he didn't, who knew how long it'd be before he found out the truth.

After a long silence, Len sighed and stuck his hands into his pocket. He looked Miku in the eye and said, "Fine then, Miss Hatsune, I'd like you to investigate the truth behind my death."

* * *

**A/N: So... here's a new story I randomly came up with... Hopefully it'd come out pretty well, though I really should be doing homework, not this... =_=**

**Anyways, real plot probably begins next chapter. I just need to figure out a plot.**

**I'm sorta writing this as I go, so feel free to give me suggestions or reviews!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. The Twin

Miku awoke the next day to the beeping of her alarm clock. Still half asleep, she shut the alarm and glanced at the time.

6:00. Miku frowned, unable to remember why in the world she had wanted to awake so early in the morning yesterday. Letting out a sigh, she pulled herself rather unwillingly out of bed and headed to the closest. She grabbed the first thing she saw and put it on. A yellow T-shirt. Yellow.

Miku suddenly smacked herself in the head. Of course. She'd promised to meet up Len in the morning. It was a wonder that she could forget that she had a case on her hands. Then again, it was probably going to be the strangest case she'd ever take.

It hadn't really surprised Miku when Len said he wanted to know about his death, not after she'd gotten over the shock of having a ghost as her client. What really shocked her, though, was what Len had said after that. He'd been wandering the town for about half a month, right around the start of May. He remembered everything but the 24 hours leading to his death, and for some reason, he was convinced that he'd been murdered.

Len still hadn't seemed too convinced about letting Miku take his case. She guessed his confidence must have faltered after yesterday's encounter. He told her that he just wanted to know what had happened the day he died, whether it turned out that he'd been murdered or not. Miku, of course, felt complied to help him. She'd never really interacted with spirits before, not that she understood how Len was so different from the other beings she usually saw, but Len was a client who'd asked for her help all the same. There was never a reason not to help a client.

Miku quickly finished dressing and slipped out of the agency as quietly as she could. Kaito had sensitive ears. If she accidently woke him, she'd never get out of the house, much less meet Len. Everyone else was almost as lazy, though not quite there. She didn't feel like directing their morning fury on her.

The streets were unusually silent in the morning. It was about 6:25 by the time Miku had left the agency. She'd never been out in the streets so early before. It was a time when not even the birds were up and about, chirping their happy songs. No. That wasn't what the morning in May felt like. It was more like a time for the silent souls of the dead.

Miku turned left into a side street and found herself in a tidy neighborhood. Up ahead, she spotted Len, still wearing his long overcoat, his hands casually in his pockets as he glanced around attentively, waiting at the place he'd asked her to go to. Miku ran up to him and patted him on his back before she could remind herself that Len was a ghost. Her hand naturally passed through his body, causing Miku to apologize in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," Len replied casually, gazing off into the distance. He was watching one house that sat down the street, a single whitewashed home that gave off the feeling of home that Miku just barely remembered. The front yard was adorned with simple flowerbeds of blooming flowers, casting a vibrant glow over the yard in the dull, gray morning.

"So what are you looking for?" Miku asked, following Len's gaze to the second window on the left of the second floor. The lights were already on in the room where a shadow wandered aimlessly about before the window.

"I don't know," Len replied truthfully. "I just felt like my home was the best place to start the investigation. I think that's my sister in my room."

"Your sister? What would she be doing in there?" Miku asked, immediately settling into her work mode. It was like her brain was a machine that could be turned on and off. Whenever she got serious, she could remember everything she wanted to.

"She always liked my room. She said it had a better view of the street," Len mumbled, sighing somewhat sadly.

Miku was suddenly reminded of the fact that Len really was dead. That meant he'd left behind his old life, whatever it might have been, and lost the ability to talk to the people he cared about. She realized how hard this must be for Len, to not only accept the fact that he was no longer alive, but also accept the fact that he'd never come into contact with his family and loved ones again.

"Maybe we could ask your sister what you did on the day of your…death," Miku replied, hesitating on the last word. She didn't know if Len was okay with being called dead.

"I won't be offended, don't worry. That sounds like a good idea, but I'd just like it if you withdrew if Rin gets emotional. I don't want her to be any sadder," Len replied, heading off in the direction of his home.

Once again, Miku found herself wondering how Len could act so calm in such a situation. It was like he'd already completely accepted reality. She didn't like the way seemed to keeping everything contained under his composed surface.

When Miku rang the doorbell, it was answered within seconds by a young girl with short blonde hair. She had a huge white ribbon tied in her hair, her blue eyes looking somewhat sleep deprived. Miku guessed this was Len's sister, though they looked like twins from their resemblance to each other. She was just a bit shorter than Miku was, although that might've been because she was slightly slumped over, leaning on the door, barefoot in her tank top and shorts.

"Can I help you?" the girl muttered, her eyes barely open as she stared at Miku.

"Oh, um, I'm Hatsune Miku, detective at the Vocaloid Detective Agency. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions about my case?" Miku asked tentatively, hoping that it wasn't actually a glare that she was getting from the girl.

The girl stared at her for another moment before stepping aside and letting Miku. She let out a big yawn and said, "Sure, fine. Not that I know what you're talking about. Just go down the hall to the dining room. I'll be back in a sec."

Miku let Len lead the way through his house. He walked directly through the halls, not casting a glance at his surroundings. Miku questioned his behavior. She wanted to know why he seemed completely uninterested in seeing his home again, but she decided not to press him. Instead, she asked, "So, that was your twin sister?"

"Yep. Rin. She gets up too early for her own health, but she does it anyways. Don't be so surprised when she comes back," Len replied, settling into a corner of the dining room.

"Surprised? Is something going to happen?" Miku asked, raising her eyebrows.

Just then, the same girl burst into the room, dressed in a white and black sailor top, fit with jeans and a yellow belt looped around it. She burst into a smile and asked, "So, what do you want me to help you with?"

Miku stared at Len's sister for a good minute. She had to say Len was right in this one. She had never expected this big of a personality change from Rin. She just hoped that the Rin who wasn't in sleepy mode would be helpful. It didn't help that Len was snickering in his corner, probably at Miku's reaction.

With a sigh, Miku finally faced Len's sister and said, "Well then. I'll get straight to the point. I'm investigating your brother's death. Can you tell me anything?"

And thus the investigation began.

* * *

**A/N: sorry, I wanted to end the chapter but I didn't know how to. I just felt like adding the interrogation would make this chap painfully long, so look forward to chapter 4, which might come out sooner if I procrastinate from doing my homework... **

**I'm forming this story in my head as I'm writing it, so I have no idea where it's going to end up. I have a tendency of going real dark, but maybe that won't happen here. Maybe.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, follows, etc (if there is more)! I really appreciate your support! If you're just a reader passing by, thanks for reading too! **


	3. The Interrogation

It was Rin's turn to stare at Miku. She stammered, "You're here to do what?"

"I've taken charge of investigating the murder of your brother Kagamine Len," Miku repeated. This was the way she investigated things. She cut the crap with all the condolences and stuff. They didn't help the dead.

"Are you crazy?" Len hissed, suddenly appearing in front of Miku. "You'll scare the crap out of Rin!"

Miku just continued to stare at Rin, or where Rin would be if Len finally decided to move.

Rin took in a deep breath and said, "Well, I certainly didn't expect that coming. Why do you want to know about that? The case was closed almost half a month ago."

"Ah, well…I happened to come across a friend who asked me to help out in this case. He said it was suspicious," Miku lied, making it up along the way. She didn't even know how Len died. "Do you mind sharing with me what happened during the 24 hours before your brother's death?"

"Uh, I guess," Rin replied, settling down into a chair. "I don't know how it will help, but all I know is that he was acting perfectly fine before…that happened."

"By 'that' do you mean his death?" Miku asked.

"Yeah. He said he was going to see a friend and left in the morning. I didn't even notice him coming back. Maybe then I could've stopped him," Rin sniffled, taking in a deep breath.

"If you feel uncomfortable talking about it, I can wait a different day," Miku said, remembering her promise to Len. Len was shooting daggers at Miku. It was her fault his sister was suffering through this in the first place.

"No, it's fine. I somewhat got over it. Our parents are overseas, and me and Len homeschooled each other, so we don't have many friends except for Gumi and Oliver. That's why I was surprised when Len was going to see a friend."

"And Gumi and Oliver are?"

"Gumi's the really nice girl who lives down the street. She helps me with my work. Oliver's been lodging at our house for a few months now. He's still asleep, but I can get him if you want," Rin suggested.

"No, don't worry about. I'll talk to him when I get the chance," Miku replied. "Do you have any idea who this friend might be?"

Rin's brow furrowed together. She mumbled, "Eh, well… Len did tell me about this one person who might be that friend. He mentioned the name Piko once. A frail kid with white hair and strange eyes."

"Piko, huh?" Miku muttered aloud, glancing over at Len, who had finally retreated to his corner. The way his eyes suddenly darkened made Miku wonder if Piko had been something other than the friend. She continued, "Did he mention anything else?"

Rin fell silent. In a barely audible voice, she said, "There was something else. Before he left the house, he promised he'd take me to the amusement park the next day. He's never broken a promise before. Never."

"I see…" Miku said, unsure of how to reply. She could tell she was already treading dangerous waters. Any second longer and Rin might burst into tears.

"Well, I'm sure that he'll still find some way to keep it," Rin said, suddenly brightening up. "Maybe he'll become a ghost or something."

Miku couldn't help it. She let out a snicker before she could contain herself. She apologized quickly to Rin, who looked discouraged. She just thought the irony that Len actually was a ghost was too funny. Len just rolled his eyes and sat down next to her.

"Hey there! What's with the visitor?" a blonde boy in a sailor's outfit suddenly asked, appearing in the dining room. One of his eyes was covered in a bandage, though he looked pretty banged up everywhere. Rin waved him over and said, "Oliver, this is Miss Hatsune. She's looking into Len's death."

"Please, Miku is fine," Miku stressed. She rather hated formalities.

Oliver blinked a few times before his right eye opened up wide with shock. He stammered, "You don't mean… the Hatsune Miku, do you? The all great, super smart detective?"

Miku blushed red with embarrassment. She hadn't expected to hear all that from anyone. She wasn't even that good.

Rin was staring at her too. Suddenly, she shot up in her seat and let out a frustrated yell. She lamented, "Ah, I'm so stupid! How could I forget! You're the one who solved the Vanderson kidnapping case last year, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Miku replied. That case had been the key to her so called fame. Ever since then, she'd gotten a ton more clients than either of her peers. It'd been a simple case. Two siblings had started a kidnapping operation, abducting a ton of people and collecting ransom before slipping off and starting the process all over again. They'd struck a fifth time before Miku had finally traced them to their hideout and discovered their escape route, which always followed a similar pattern.

"I'm so sorry. I was still a bit sleepy," Rin apologized. Miku was slightly amazed. She would never have known from her recent behavior. Rin continued, "You saved my brother along with all the other victims. Thank you for saving him, although it might be too late for that since he's not here anymore."

"It's fine. I was just doing my job, that's all," Miku replied, shooting an inquiring glance at Len, hoping he understood what she was trying to ask him.

Len just rolled his eyes and replied, "You didn't ask. It didn't matter much anyways."

Miku raised her eyebrows but decided her question was answered.

"Well, if we could get back to topic, since you're here as well, Oliver, do you know anything else that happened before your friend's death?" Miku asked, refocusing on the case in front of her.

"Ah, right. I should've known. Well, I don't have much to say. I was in town for most of the day. I met him at the Garden Café at around noon. I could've sworn he was acting perfectly fine, but of course the police refused to accept that," Oliver sighed, looking somewhat frustrated.

"Both of you seem to despise the police," Miku remarked.

"Well, Len hated them more. He called them a good for nothing group of people who don't actually do their work. They didn't seem really interested in looking into his case either, so we just let it go," Rin replied.

"So did you guys speak to anyone else in the café?" Miku asked Oliver.

He thought for a while before a light bulb seemed to go off in his head. He said, "Oh, right, if I remember right..."

He suddenly froze and clammed up. Miku sent him a questioning glance. Oliver forced a smile and said, "Ne, Rin, mind getting me some breakfast? I'm starving."

"What? You're so lazy," Rin complained, getting out of her seat all the same, completely oblivious to the fact that Oliver was most definitely trying to get her out of the room.

"Is something wrong?" Miku asked once Rin was out of earshot.

"No, it's just that I remembered that Len swore he'd kill me if I told Rin about this," Oliver said, letting out a relieved sigh. Miku sent Len another disdainful look. He just shrugged. Miku then remembered he probably didn't even remember any of this.

"Anyways, as I was saying," Oliver continued in a hushed tone. "We were joined by IA. She sometimes hangs out in our neighborhood. Rin doesn't really know her but the three of us hang out a lot. Len was your ultimate fan, so I don't think he'd mind if I told you, but we're formed this detective group after you saved Len. IA's sorta our informant. Rin would've flipped if she knew Len was part of a detective mystery group thing. She's really protective of him, especially after what happened last year. She was really broken up after his death, though she's handling it pretty well nowadays."

"I see. Do you mind giving me IA and Gumi's addresses? I'd like to speak with both of them as well," Miku said. Oliver gladly wrote both of their addresses for her. Thanking him, Miku added, "Did you ever happen to hear Len mention the name Piko?"

Oliver suddenly froze again. He blinked and returned to reality, quickly replying, "Sorry, never heard that name before. Do you need anything else?"

Miku could clearly see the lie behind his smile, but she decided she get the information out of Len later. She thought for a sec and asked, "By the way, what did the police rule Len's death as?"

"You don't know?" Oliver asked, looking a bit shocked. He sighed and shook his head before replying, "Well, then again, it wasn't a widely known case either. I hope you'll get a different answer than the police."

He walked over to her and whispered five words into her ear.

"They said it was suicide."

* * *

**A/N: Whee... I'm having fun with this... Who knew writing could be so easy?**

**I'm running out of vocaloids to add... I'm still a newbie vocaloid fan so I don't know a lot of them...**

**Next chapter... I don't know what I'm going to do. Hopefully it'll be something good.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. (Except for the suicide part. That was just dark... -_- I blame myself. Haha...)**


	4. The Encounter

They were sitting outside at the bus stop, alone and isolated in the dull spring morning. Nothing was moving about that morning for some reason, as if they all knew not to come out and disturb the solemn investigation.

"So, suicide, huh?" Miku remarked, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, don't look at me. I don't remember anything, but if there's one thing I know, I'd never commit suicide," Len replied, sitting beside Miku.

"How are you so sure if you can't remember anything?" Miku inquired.

"Because if I really did make a promise with Rin, I'd never break it," Len stated firmly back, staring out into the empty street.

After another silent moment, Miku asked, "So…you were doing this detective group thing. What else haven't you told me that I need to know?"

"I don't know," Len shot back. "How do I know what's important in this case? Maybe I should just tell you the story of my life, should I?"

Miku dropped the topic. She didn't know why she was irritated with Len. He was her client, not to mention he was dead. There was nothing good out of arguing with him.

Miku suddenly remembered the question on her mind. She asked, "Mind telling me why you were acting like that back there?"

"Like what?"

"In your house. I thought you would've been more anxious to go back home and see your family," Miku said. That's how she would've acted at least, if she had a home other than the agency to return to.

Len fell silent, a dark shadow falling over his face as his bangs drooped over his eyes. He muttered, "You don't understand, do you?"

Before Miku could furrow her brow in confusion, Len gritted his teeth together and mumbled, "I'm dead for god's sake! Do you expect everything to be better if I went home? How would you feel if your only sister was mourning for you, even though you were right there beside her? I have to live with the fact that no one I used to know, no one I even remotely cared about, will ever be able to see me again, even though I'm right there. How would you feel about that?"

Miku stared at Len's trembling lip, looking like he was about to cry. She felt a little guilty for being so apathetic towards his situation. She wasn't used to empathizing with other people, but just looking at Len made an uncomfortable feeling rise in her heart.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Miku apologized just as the rumble of the bus echoed through the streets. It pulled into the stop and Miku bought herself a ticket. Len got to ride free.

The bus was almost empty except for a few riders. Miku headed for the back of the bus. She liked riding there, where most people wouldn't bother to look over. The back row was already occupied by a teenager sitting in one of the window seats. Miku stared at him for a good moment before remembering how impolite it probably was and quickly sat down in the other window seat.

The boy had a head of silvery white hair, his eyes bright green under the sun. He was wearing a short sleeved white jacket, buttoned all the way to his black pants. He looked so bored as he stared out the window, the morning light glinting off his hair.

Miku stared out the window for a while when she suddenly Len wasn't next to her. Alarmed, she glanced up to look for him. He was standing stock still in the pathway, his eyes glued to the white haired boy almost like he'd seen a ghost. It would've been a plausible conclusion had Len not been a ghost himself.

As indiscreetly as she could, Miku cleared her throat rather loudly, feigning a cough. Len snapped out of his trance and hurriedly moved next to Miku. Some people glanced back at Miku, but the white haired boy didn't even move a finger. If his eyes hadn't blinked once or twice, Miku might've wondered if he was dead.

Casually, Miku pulled out a notebook and pen. She made sure she had Len's attention as she wrote, "So who is that?"

"None of your business," Len snapped back, refusing to look at the boy.

"If you want me to solve your case, every piece of information is relevant," Miku wrote. She occasionally looked up once in a while, pretending to look like she was thinking about something.

She heard Len give a loud sigh. He finally complied and said, "That's the person Rin was talking about. Utatane Piko."

Miku looked up in surprise and shot a glance over at the boy. He looked completely like a normal teenager, bored out of his mind, and yet when his name had been mentioned, both Len and Oliver had looked like they'd rather avoid the topic. He was definitely someone important.

Was it a coincidence? Miku knew better. Coincidences were never coincidences when she was working a case. It had to be a work of fate.

The bus stopped and Piko rose from his seat, heading out. In one split second, Miku made her decision and followed him off the bus. She'd probably never have another chance to approach him. He could be an important suspect for all she knew.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Len hissed, flying straight through the bus walls after Miku. She ignored him and quickly caught up to Piko, who was entering a nearby café. It was crowded with early workers for some reason, striking a deep contrast with the deserted part of town that she'd just left. The fact that there was a crowd was a factor working in her favor. Miku remembered she hadn't gotten breakfast and got some light food before making her way towards Piko, who had luckily found an empty table for two.

"I wouldn't be doing this," Len muttered, glancing at the people in the café nervously.

Miku ignored him. As casually as she could, Miku pretended to look for a table before seeing him. She walked over and asked, "Hi! Do you mind if I sit here? I'll be quick."

"Sure, no problem," Piko replied, his eyes falling on her for a brief moment. Miku suddenly felt a strange chill run down her spine, as if he had analyzed her completely with that brief look.

They sat in silence for a while, only disturbed by the sound of their chewing. Suddenly, without even lifting his head, Piko asked in a hushed tone, "So, what does the great detective want from me?"

Miku almost dropped her fork. As calmly as she could, she set it back down onto the table and asked, "So you already knew?"

"Now who wouldn't recognize their role model?" Piko asked, his lips barely moving, though they were forming the faintest of grins.

"So you must know what I'm here for," Miku stated, slightly impressed by his ability to conceal his emotions.

Piko shook his head and replied, "Sorry. Can't figure that one out, but it must be important, right? Since you got off the bus with me even though you need to go somewhere else."

Miku sighed. To think a normal person had seen through her was her own failure as a detective. She asked, "Well then, I'm guessing you know of Kagamine Len?"

Piko looked up, startled. A slightly annoyed expression flitted through his eyes before quickly disappearing. He asked, "Yeah. What about him?"

"What's your relationship to him?"

"We…used to be friends, I'll just keep it at that. We both like detecting, but I guess our methods and interests were too different to stay friends," Piko replied, letting out a sigh. He looked up at Miku and asked, "Where is that idiot anyways? I haven't seen him for a few weeks."

Miku stared back at Piko for a while before she managed to asked, "You don't know what happened?"

Piko glanced outside at the busy street and lazily drawled out, "Of course not. We cut off all connections between each other in April. I still saw him around with his friends, but he disappeared some time ago. You're not asking me about that, are you?"

For one moment, Miku felt a hint of sympathy spring from her heart. She wondered how Piko would react when she told the truth.

"Well, it's something related to that," Miku said, deciding to choose her words more carefully this time, learning from her experience with Rin. "I'm currently investigating Kagamine Len's death. I was wondering if you knew anything."

Piko stared at Miku, his pupils constricting as he sat there, frozen in his seat. He stammered, "D-did you just say…'death?'"

When Miku nodded, her eyes still trained on Piko's horrified face, he suddenly stumbled onto his two feet and muttered, "I…I think I need some air…"

Miku watched him start to stagger through the crowds, unable to understand Piko's reaction. Before she could question him any further though, much to Miku's horror, Piko's legs collapsed underneath him as he fell forward, unconscious.

As Miku rushed over to help him, Len muttered in a dull and yet pained voice, "See? What'd I tell you?"

* * *

**A/N: I must have memory loss... I forgot I posted something this past week already, but oh well... **

**This story's moving faster than I originally thought. I'm actually enjoying the writing process. Maybe even get another chapter done by the weekend! ^_^**

**Hope you enjoyed reading!**


	5. The Suspicion

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this," Piko muttered, putting a hand to his forehead as he leaned back on the park bench.

"Don't worry. I shouldn't have been so blunt about…that," Miku replied, careful with her word choice. She hadn't expected Piko to faint over the news. The café had been thrown into chaos when Piko had fallen unconsciousness, but Miku had managed to take Piko outside, hoping fresh air would help him. It was a while before he'd finally woken up, but they managed to go to the park nearby to relax.

"It's okay now. I just didn't see that coming. I never considered the fact that Len might actually, well, you know, die," Piko sighed, looking up at the sky, his eyes shining under the sun.

Len swiped at Piko's face, like he wanted to punch him, but naturally, Len's hand just went through his head. Len growled, "Of course you wouldn't, you bastard."

Miku raised an eyebrow at his behavior. She clearly remembered the relief on Len's face when Piko had finally awoken again. She didn't understand how Len could care for Piko as a friend one moment and treat him like an enemy the next.

"So what is the real relationship between the two of you? I hate to say it this way, but rivals don't usually faint if the other dies," Miku said.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Both of us were two of the victims of the kidnapping case you solved last year. He stood up for me against one of the kidnappers when they were threatening me. We kept in contact afterwards and it wasn't long before we were best friends, since neither of us had really interacted with other people before. We both wanted to give a shot at detecting, but I guess that's where our relationship broke apart," Piko explained, letting out another long sigh. A look at Len's serious face told Miku that Piko was telling the truth.

"What happened?" Miku asked. If Len refused to talk, she'd just have to hope Piko would.

"Eh, well, we just had different ways of getting things done. Not really important stuff, but Len was too nice to be an actual detective. I couldn't stand his methods, he couldn't stand mine, so we had a falling out," Piko muttered. Miku refrained from growling out of frustration. Why was everyone avoiding the topic? He still hadn't explained what had really caused their falling out.

Reluctantly, Miku let the topic drop. She'd force it out of Len after this. She moved on and asked, "So, did you happen to see Len on May 1st?"

"Is that the day he was killed?" Piko asked, finally sitting up properly to look at Miku, his expression suddenly dead serious.

"Well, I'm still investigating his death, but it's likely that it was murder, unless you have reason to believe otherwise," Miku replied.

"Len was a shut-in, though I really don't have the right to say so. I can't think of any enemies he'd have, but what other kind of possibility is there?" Piko asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Just don't faint again, okay?" Miku said before she could stop herself. She hoped that'd prepare Piko for her next words as she said, "The police who investigated Len's death beforehand labeled it as a suicide."

"Suicide?" Piko exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He drew a few questioning looks from people passing by, but he sat down again just as quickly.

"That's impossible. Len would never do that," Piko said firmly. "He's not that weak."

Miku couldn't help thinking, "Well, you're certainly not the first to say that." Just about everyone in case seemed convinced it wasn't suicide, although looking at Len's personality, he almost seemed like the type who'd kill himself. He was just too mysterious and sullen for Miku to believe otherwise.

Piko continued, "I mean, Len always had a dark cloud hanging over him, but if there was one thing he prized more than anything, it was his own life. There's literally nothing that would make him commit suicide."

"Then you think it might be murder?"

Piko fell silent as he stared over at the park. Today was Monday, so the kids had all disappeared back to their schools, their parents at work. The two of them were left alone again in the dull morning, even with the sun rising higher into the sky. It was a calm yet melancholy silence, a kind that made Miku uncomfortable and solemn.

"I don't know. Len was too good for his own good. There's always people who would hate you because you were too kind or caring. All I know is that if anyone actually dared to kill Len, they'd better be prepared to face the wrath of hell," Piko suddenly remarked, a somewhat crazed glint appearing in his eyes.

"Miku, let's go," Len urged, casting a worried glance at Piko. Miku agreed. His sudden change in behavior slightly unnerved her. Piko almost looked like he was ready to kill.

"Um, well, thanks for everything. I'll call you if I need anything else," Miku said with a smile before she remembered she hadn't even gotten Piko's contact information. Piko waved her off anyways and she left the park, Len right behind her.

"So what was that about?" Miku asked Len, hoping he'd have better answers.

"Piko, he's…not completely sane if you know what I mean," Len mumbled, sighing. "He's a great detective and everything, but the way he goes about doing things is just…unforgivable."

"And by that I'm guessing you mean threatening people to get what he wants?" Miku guessed. That was basically the only thing she could think of as mean. That was how Gakupo did things at least, though his presence was formidable enough.

Len shook his head and got on the bus with Miku, who was now heading back to her original destination. He said, "Piko's worse. He was always a frail person since I met him, so I think he developed his own way of protecting himself. He doesn't forgive people for their actions. He makes sure he delivers punishment to evildoers himself. When I saw what he did to those people, I…I just couldn't talk to him anymore."

"But you still care about him," Miku wrote, back to her notebook now that she was on the bus. The way he had looked upset and yet worried when he looked at Piko seemed to give off that feeling.

"I don't know," Len replied. They continued the trip in silence for a bit before he suddenly glanced over at Miku and said, "'You realize how he changed the subject?"

"What subject?"

"When you asked him if he'd seen me on May 1st, he asked you a question back and then started talking about me. He never answered that question," Len stated, a snicker forming on his lips, almost like he was suppressing a laugh. A laugh that was making fun of Miku's detective skills.

Miku's eyes widened with surprise and realization. She exclaimed, "What the… Are you serious?"

Everyone on the bus turned to stare at Miku, who turned bright red and looked out the window quickly, hoping they'd turn away. She couldn't believe she'd been played by an amateur. Now that she thought back on it, Piko had avoided the topic, and she'd fallen right for his trap. Darn that kid was good.

Miku flipped open a new page and, for the first time ever, she wrote down every piece of evidence she'd collected just to compile her thoughts together. She wrote about both Rin and Piko's sudden change of behavior, her conversation with Rin and Oliver, what happened with Piko, and Len's cause of death, which Oliver had also provided.

She stared at her words for a while, mostly focusing her last written words.

_Cause of death: Blood loss from slit wrists._

"Hey, Len, can I see your wrists for a sec?" Miku suddenly whispered, an idea striking her. She had to confirm her idea for herself.

Len gulped, his pale face suddenly turning to almost a ghastly color. He stammered, "D-do I have to?"

"Is there a reason you wouldn't?" Miku asked with accusing eyes. Len let out a pained sigh, a guilty look on his face like he'd just been caught committing a crime. Looking like he'd rather die than do this, he shakily unrolled the cuffs of his coat and revealed his skinny pale wrists.

It was just as she thought. Several shallow and thin crisscrossing lines were carved horizontally onto his skin, their crimson color burning bright on his pale wrists.

"Damn those policemen," Miku muttered to herself as she furiously crossed out Len's cause of death. No wonder everyone seemed to hate those lazy bastards so much. Thanks to them, she was back at square one, without any idea about what might've killed Len.

* * *

**A/N: I have so much motivation for this story that it isn't even funny… **

**So somehow this turned real dark real fast. I'll try my best to be sunshine happy in later chapters. Well, at least something closer to that.**

**For anyone confused about why Len didn't kill himself by cutting his wrists, I know it's technically possible to commit suicide if you slit your wrist horizontally across your vein (artery, whatever it is), but let's pretend Len was only self-mutilating himself (I know. Sunshine happy). Either way, he didn't cut deep enough with the intention of committing suicide. Shallow cuts don't kill. But don't try it. Please.**

**Anyways, on a brighter note, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for all the reviews too!**


	6. The Black-out

"Now maybe you'd like to explain to me about your depression?" Miku asked the moment she got off the bus, managing not to wince when the light hit her sensitive eyes.

Len made a growling noise in the back of his throat like he was annoyed. He muttered, "Used to be. Not now. There's nothing more depressing than being a ghost."

"True," Miku agreed, "but you're avoiding the question."

Len trailed after her silently as she walked along through the streets. They were in a better part of town, stores lining the streets as far as the eye could see, starting up their morning business. Miku decided Len was trying to drop the topic, so she double-checked IA's address.

"I don't know," Len suddenly blurted out, causing Miku to stop mid-step to look back at him. Only until she started off again did Len continue, "Maybe I was upset my parents never came home, or maybe the stress of taking care of Rin finally got to me. It only started after I discovered Piko's true nature, so you could say I was letting out my anger on myself instead of Piko. Isn't figuring this stuff out a therapist's job?"

"Well, at least you found some reasons yourself," Miku mumbled so that the people passing her by wouldn't hear her. Len just gave an annoyed shrug and they continued in silence.

It hadn't been that much of a shock that Len might've been depressed. The way he his whole body was covered head to toe even after death just seemed to imply a gloomy atmosphere hanging over him. So much for everyone claiming Len was the least suicidal person ever, though his wounds weren't deep enough to suggest that he was actually trying to kill himself.

Miku cast another backwards glance at Len. He was glancing around warily like usual, as if he was convinced everyone around him had the potential to be his killer. Miku guessed that that was reason enough to believe that she really had a murder case on her hands. If Len was so convinced it wasn't suicide, then so be it.

"By the way, turn right here," Len suddenly said, heading off in a different direction. Miku sighed and followed him without a word. It was his friend's house they were going to after all. Len probably knew the way better than she did.

Miku kept in step right behind Len. She knew she wasn't ever going to step on him anyways, but she kept some distance. She didn't want to accidently step through Len. His body had felt like frozen water the first time her hand had gone through his wrist, almost as if it could swallow her up and drag her to her death as well.

Miku let out a yawn. Her lack of sleep was finally getting to her, and it wasn't even noon. It was probably why she was having these strange thoughts.

"Hey, Len, after we talk to IA, mind if we stop here for today? I need my afternoon nap," Miku called out, trying to suppress another yawn.

Len had been moving quicker than she'd thought, so she was surprisingly a long ways behind him. She quickened her footsteps to catch up to Len, who'd turned in midair, a look of surprise on his face.

He quickly recomposed himself, his pale lips forming a sly grin. He laughed, "How old are you, Sherlock? Six?"

"Ha, ha, very funny, Invisible Man," Miku retorted, returning Len's laughing gaze with an unamused glare.

"Just kidding. It's fine if you need a break. It's your case after all," Len replied, falling back to walk alongside Miku.

"Oh really? I would've thought that you'd want to know the truth as fast as possible," Miku said, a little surprised. Usually when clients came to her, they were always stressed since they mostly came to her to look for lost items. Looking back on it, it was almost a miracle that she managed to retrieve everything for them, especially for their constant badgering about whether the case had been solved or not. She was almost not used to cases that gave her much leisure time.

"Well, I'd like it before you yourself become a ghost," Len said, his tone suddenly serious.

Miku felt a grin appear on her face. She laughed, "Don't worry. I'll never leave a case unsolved as long as I'm still alive."

She meant to give Len a playful punch on the arm before she remembered her hand would just go through.

Too late. Her arm sunk through Len's transparent body as easily as thin air. Miku gave a startled shiver. She felt like her whole arm had been dunked into a bowl of ice water, sending shock waves to her brain.

Suddenly, she felt a little lightheaded. She knew Len was right beside her, but his voice sounded distant as he shouted incomprehensible words. Miku tried to grab onto a wall to steady herself, but her legs gave out from underneath her first. Miku faintly felt herself hit the ground with a thump before the world winked out of existence.

* * *

Len was panicking by now. He didn't understand what had happened to Miku, except that it'd happened only because she'd touched him. It had to be his fault.

He shot down to the ground, lying flat so that his ear was right next to Miku's mouth. His ears strained to hear something, anything that might resemble breathing. He didn't dare go any closer. If it was really his fault that Miku had collapsed, he couldn't risk touched Miku any more than he already had.

Her breathing was faint and shallow, her skin looking paler by the second. Len suddenly felt a chill run through him, as if his worst fears had come true. He started racking his brains like crazy for an idea. He hadn't been an amateur detective for nothing, had he? He growled out loud, "Come on, there must be something I can think of!"

"What the hell is all this ruckus outside?" a voice shouted from above. Len glanced up to see a girl poking her head out of a window on the second floor, her light pink her almost white under the sun. Even in the morning, her hair had two braids in it, dangling out in front of her shoulders, one of which was uncovered by the loose black shirt she wore.

That was it! Cursing himself silently for not thinking of this before, Len shouted up at the girl, "IA! It's me, Len! You can see me, right?"

IA squinted out into the alley in Len's general direction. The moment her blue eyes met Len's, they widened with shock as she exclaimed, "Holy shit! Len, is that really you?"

"Yes, it's me! I need you to help me take Miku inside!" Len shouted back, wishing IA would hurry up and get out of her shock.

IA leaned out further of the window until she saw Miku lying on the ground. Her eyes widened even further, almost wide enough for her eyeballs to fall out. Without another word, she leapt out of the window, her long hair trailing behind her, and landed right beside them. She easily picked Miku onto her back, reminding Len once again that IA was much stronger than she looked.

IA shivered and said, "Oh dear, she'd really cold. Follow me, Len. I'll clear up everything with you once I get her settled. But seriously! Can you believe it? I'm carrying Hatsune Miku! The amazing detective!"

"Ok, ok, just hurry up, please!" Len stressed, watching Miku tentatively. Even after IA brought Miku into her home and laid her on the couch, Len felt that ill feeling crawl up his spine, as if telling him to prepare for the worst.

He shook his head to clear it. He clenched his fists together as he watched IA tend to Miku. He had to believe Miku would be okay. She had to be.

* * *

**A/N: So much for being sunshine happy... I have absolutely no idea where this story is going, but don't worry. Miku's won't die. Probably...**

**I really should be doing my homework, but writing is so much funner than homework, especially journals and essays. They're the worst...**

**So maybe I'll go back to doing homework for a while. I think it's because I have no ideas for this that I like writing this story so much. If only that enthusiasm could be used for homework...**

**Anyways, t****hanks for reading! Really appreciate the reviews!**


	7. The Drowning

The room was cloaked by darkness. Looking around, it was almost impossible to tell if it was night or if the curtains were just drawn over the windows. With the feeble light above, the room was illuminated in a fuzzy yellow light, revealing its neat structure. A desk sat in the corner of the room, a single twin-sized bed leaning against the wall next to it. The other side of the wall was covered with a huge bookshelf, filled with books after books. Dust had accumulated there over time, but the section filled with mystery books remained as clean as ever. A door next to the bookshelf led to the bathroom, where everything was just as orderly.

Only one thing stood out in the room. A white card laid on the desk, decorated with a simple shining sun, a happy smile on its face. Below it read "Happy birthday, nii-chan!"

A wisp of laughter escaped into the room, reverberating through the room as the note was flipped open to be read again. It'd been read about ten times already, and it was still a comforting thing among all the other evils that had happened that day.

Suddenly, a creak at the door shut the room back into silence. Only the sound of a faint, pounding heartbeat could be heard as the silence continued, the intruder not daring to move on.

"Who's there?"

After another moment of silence, the door finally creaked open, revealing a figure shrouded in darkness. The person's face was hidden by the shadows of the room though he or she, whichever it might be, wore dark pants and a black jacket, covering the person from head to toe. Judging from how tall he stood at the door, the intruder was about 5'5'', but it was only an estimate. The person entered the room, advancing as he said, "Hi. Hope I'm not intruding."

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave didn't I?"

The furious snarl seemed to have startled the intruder. He gulped, his mouth quivering slightly almost like he was about to cry. The hood over his head pressed down on his bangs, covering his eyes. The color of them was still fuzzy in the poor light, but it was already clear who the person might be.

"Why do you hate me so much now? the person mumbled, a broken tone in his voice. "You know I was only trying to…"

"We both know very well what you were trying to do. Now please, leave. I don't want to see you in my sight again. You're a disgrace to everyone."

Silence hung low over the room, threatening to burst out into a catastrophe as the person stood there, head hung low, fists clenched.

Just as suddenly, the violence exploded as the bookshelves were hit with a shattering force, books plopping onto the ground one after another. There was a new wet and sticky feeling from behind, making the room lose its original clearness. Without warning, the person struck again, planting a left kick right in the stomach before slamming the bathroom door open with a newfound fury. There was blood on the floor, drips of it falling as the room reverberated with the sound of gushing water and hoarse, desperate coughs.

"W-why?" the voice sounded broken and almost betrayed, questioning the intruder, a person that used to be one of trust.

"You're too unforgiving!" the person snapped. "There's no gray area in your logic. Evil is evil and it can never be justice again. You won't let me prove you wrong. This is your own fault!"

Fatigue seemed to be closing its clutches around the room. Books scattered on the floor, some tainted with splashes of blood. The card had fluttered to the floor, somehow just resting atop of the fallen mountain of knowledge. Just before the sun could shine its rays, it was kicked aside and the dark room melted away into the bright bathroom, the tub filled to the rim with water. Before any protests could be made, there was splash as a hand forced the entry of a white world of water, of pain, of fear.

Every effort of struggle and escape was useless. The attacker was too strong, too powerful. Water entered his lungs, choking him as his blurred, dry eyes caught a glimpse of his own yellow hair, the water slowly turning a deep shade of red. Kicking and splashing around, his attempts grew more feeble, less determined.

"Don't struggle. It's for your own good. Your ideas aren't fit for living in this generation," the person's voice floated through his ears, turning to mesh inside his injured brain. "I don't want to do this either, but you realize it's for your own good, right? This world doesn't have use for someone with such clear goals like you. I'm sparing you from a dark future."

His vision was starting to blur, blending yellow with red as the strain intensified on his lungs, yearning for one word, one breath of air.

Suddenly he pushed out of the water, spluttering, "Wait! You're taking this…!"

His head shot under the water again, the force holding him down tripled in strength. The killer murmured, "I'm not doing anything wrong… It's your fault. You had to put your beliefs before a friend. You brought this upon yourself. You know that, right, Len?"

He'd reached his limit. There was no oxygen, no life left in his weary body. There was no response that he could give to the killer's question, just those last words ringing forever in his words. To drive a friend into the corner only to be killed as a desperate attempt for survival. There were only two words he could respond with.

The water bubbled as he tried to speak, and his apology was lost in the darkening void of blood red water.

* * *

Miku shot up into upright position, her breathing heavy as horror and shock filled her. She didn't understand what'd just happened as she clutched her arms tighter to her chest, consumed with the scene she'd just experienced.

Only then did she realize she was sitting on a soft, turquoise couch, covered in a fuzzy pink blanket. She looked around and found that she recognized nothing in her surroundings, but before alarm could take over, a familiar voice said, "So you're finally up."

Miku looked up to see Len hanging over her, floating in midair as he looked down at her. His clear blue was seemed to fill with relief, but for some reason, that didn't make Miku feel better. They reminded her of the scene she'd just witnessed. It made her wonder what those beautiful eyes must have looked like as they took in their final sight. She shook her head, clearing herself from the thought, before asking, "So where are we?"

"IA's house. She helped me when you fainted," Len replied, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Wait… what?" Miku exclaimed, her eyes widening. "How can this IA person see you too?"

"You're not the only one with special abilities," Len sighed, finally lowering himself so that he stood next to Miku's makeshift bed.

"Great point, Len," a cheerful voice said. Miku looked over to see a bright girl with long pink hair, reminding her a little of Luka, but with a much lighter shade. Her hair was braided in some places while a loose shirt revealed her pale skin, almost the color of Len's. She handed Miku a cup of tea, a delicious aroma wafting from it. She smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Hastune Miku-san! I'm IA, and don't worry, the tea's not poisoned."

Miku almost spat out the mouthful of tea that she'd just drunken, but she carefully swallowed it before thanking IA. She asked, "So what just happened?"

"You don't remember? You suddenly fainted right outside my doorstep. Thank the gods that I can see things like Len. Otherwise, I shudder to think what might've happened to you," IA replied, sitting down on the edge of the sofa.

Miku remembered it a little now. She'd suddenly collapsed after touching Len. She wondered if that was why she'd seen a memory of Len getting killed. But it was strange. How had she been able to see it when Len had no recollection of it himself? Unless he was still hiding something…like the fact that IA should've been able to see him.

"So, Len, mind explaining what other secrets you have hidden up your sleeve?" Miku asked with a smile plastered on her face. Len gave an involuntary shudder. He didn't like the ominous feeling the Miku was giving off.

"Oh, well, did Len tell you I'm a halfie? Half human half spirit," IA suddenly commented, a grin on her face.

Miku's mug almost slipped from her hand, her eyes opening so wide that they reached their limit. It didn't help that Len looked as shocked as she did as he stammered, "W-wait…WHAT?"

IA was turning out to be a very interesting character, Miku silently thought, still half in shock herself as she studied the girl. This case just turned much more complicated.

* * *

**A/N: Remember when I talked about being sunshine happy? I lied... unless you count that birthday card**

**I tried a different approach to the murder scene since Miku was technically 'experiencing' it or something. Hope it worked.**

**So, I really have no idea where this is going, so if any of you are wondering who is the killer, the answer is "I don't know." Not yet at least.  
****I'm sorta writing by impulse right now, so maybe that's helps with surprises? Ideas are sorta floating around in my head right now.****  
**

**I really should be doing my homework instead, but I felt like I ought to post something since I took a pretty long break already. **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for all the reviews!**


	8. The Suspects

"So…let me get this straight. You and Len met in a group chat online and decided to form a detective group," Miku stated, her eyebrows raised as she stared at Len and IA. She almost couldn't believe how the two trusted the Internet so much.

"Yep!" IA cheerfully replied, completely oblivious to Miku's stare. "Best thing I never did. But Len! You still haven't explained how you became a ghost! And why didn't you come to visit me sooner?"

"I forgot you said you could see the spiritual world," Len muttered, glancing at IA once in a while as if trying to discreetly study her. He was failing terribly, Miku noted, but it was amusing to watch him try. He continued, "Besides, you never told me you were half spirit."

"I didn't?" IA asked, confused look crossing her face. She thought for a while before replying, "Ah, well, I thought I did. It wasn't that important anyways."

Miku tried her best to refrain from face palming. With the exception of Oliver, Len's trio of detectives seemed to find the most important things as something not even worth mentioning. Seems like she needed a new interrogation technique.

"Well, we were coming over to see you in the first place. Thanks again for taking care of me," Miku said, moving onto a more serious topic.

"No problem! I like getting visitors. But what can I help you with?" IA asked, tilting her head to one side as she stared at Miku with wide blue eyes.

"I'm trying to find out how I died. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?" Len asked, sinking through the chair IA had provided him with. They were seated around a rectangular table, IA on one side, Miku and Len on the other. It was almost like an actual interrogation, if they hadn't been surrounded by pink striped walls, the three windows around the room lined with stuffed animals in all sizes and colors. IA herself was fiddling with the fur of a stuffed cat, its fur a brighter blue than the sky itself.

"Sorry… I wasn't there when they discovered your body, you see," IA apologized as she forced a smile on her face. "I'm supposing you thought of coming here because Oliver told you right? I would've thought that he'd have told you the details."

"Oliver? Why him?" Miku asked, her brows furrowing in concentration. She hadn't had the chance to talk to Oliver much, though thinking back on it, she probably should've stayed to interrogate Oliver more. She blamed her sleep deprivation for that.

"Well, he and Rin were the ones who found Len, I think. That's what he told me at least. Oliver was our mini forensic specialist when we used to be a team. He should've been able to see Len's body before the police came," IA replied like it was natural for something like that to happen. It was almost strange how it was suddenly natural for everyone to talk about Len's death like he was different from his actual body.

Miku's mind fell back to the vision she'd just experienced. That person that had killed Len. Len had known the person, perhaps even trusted whoever had been in that dark attire.

"Miku, is something wrong?" Len asked, waving a hand in front of her face. He seemed slightly on edge, as if he was nervous Miku might suddenly faint again.

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering about Oliver," Miku absentmindedly said, staring up at the ceiling. Thinking back on it, Oliver had almost seemed hurried as he ushered Miku out the door that morning. He'd hidden it well, but why had he seemed so agitated?

"Wait, you're not suspecting Oliver, are you?" IA gasped, staring at Miku with wide eyes. The blue cat had been forgotten as IA's expression slowly deepened into one of shock.

"Well, I mean, it's a possibility. I can't exclude anyone, friend or foe, from the investigation," Miku truthfully replied. That was one of the first rules she had when she investigated people. She couldn't let emotions get in the way.

"No," Len suddenly burst out. Miku glanced over at him in surprise. His voice was broken and forced, full of disbelief. Miku was about to argue when Len continued, "Oliver wouldn't do that. He's not that kind of person. He wouldn't…he wouldn't kill me…"

"I agree with Len!" IA burst in, leaping to her feet, her hands on the table. "Oliver's a nice person. He doesn't have a reason to commit murder!"

The look on both of their faces suddenly made Miku feel guilty again, something she'd been feeling a lot during her investigation. She made a mental note to not bring up the topic again in front of IA and Len. They seemed very sensitive about having their friend accused of murder, especially when the victim in question was Len.

"Ok, I get it. It was just a theory. Everyone connected to this investigation is a suspect, but that doesn't necessarily mean Oliver is the culprit," Miku tried to explain, attempting to calm down Len and IA.

"Then we just have to prove that he's not involved in the crime, right?" IA exclaimed, plopping back into her seat, a grin on her face. Miku couldn't understand how a person could go from extremely defensive to super happy. Maybe it was a special spirit quality that IA had.

Len nodded and said, "I agree. Isn't that a way for detectives to eliminate suspects?"

"Or are you two just really desperate to prove Oliver innocent?" Miku suggested. Both looked slightly sheepish but Len managed to say, "Well Oliver's our friend. Of course we'd want to free him of suspicion."

"And if Oliver really ends up as the killer?"

"He isn't the killer."

"I'm not saying he is. I'm just suggesting a scenario. If we were to investigate and find him guilty, what would you do?" Miku calmly said, taking in Len's burning blue eyes, staring fiercely back at her, his eyes glistening even with his face in the shadows.

Finally, Len blinked and lowered his head, tugging at his sleeves in discomfort. Slowly, he replied, "Oliver is innocent, but if you were ever to find anything that suggests otherwise, I'll make sure justice is administered to the criminal, whether he is my friend or enemy."

The room fell into silence, the afternoon sunlight slowly seeping into the room until it fell on Len, making his image shimmer with a mirage of colors, almost like he'd become a glass prism reflecting the colors of the innocent white light. Miku's eyes were fixed on his sparkling body. It was the most beautiful thing Miku had ever seen, almost like a mixture of his determination and his unbreakable ideals. Len was staring right at her, his eyes sparkling like sapphires, cold in essence yet radiating a strange yet heartwarming feeling that caused her stomach to flutter.

Before Miku could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, Len suddenly broke the moment and tartly said, "But Oliver won't be guilty. I'm sure of it."

Miku took another long stare at him, his determined eyes, his clenched jaw. And for one moment, Miku let herself lose as she replied, "Of course, Len. Of course."

If only life could be that simple.

* * *

**A/N: Woohoo! Been procrastinating like a true procrastinator. So far haven't touched my homework at all this week and committed to writing! Expect me to fail school.**

**This chapter didn't go anywhere really, so might stay with IA for the next chapter...  
I sorta remembered that this is LenxMiku fanfic, so I'll be trying to add some romance I guess... I'm not good at romance so don't kill me if it doesn't come out right! **

**With that said, hope you enjoyed the chapter and story so far! Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites! And just thanks for reading in general! Just hoping my homework would disappear...**


	9. The Suspects (Part 2)

"Well, since we're already at it, can you think of anyone else who might want to hurt Len?" Miku asked IA.

"Hmm…but I don't think anyone would actually want to kill Len. He's a good person and he's really nice to everyone," IA replied.

Miku let out a sigh again. That was probably the most difficult part of this investigation: looking for suspects. So far only Oliver was on her list, and even she was beginning to doubt herself about that decision.

"Then let's narrow it down to people Len might know," Miku suggested.

Len's eyes narrowed. "Why is that?"

Miku remembered that she hadn't told them about her vision yet. Slowly and carefully so she wouldn't shock them, she described the scene she'd witnessed of Len's death. She didn't go into detail to avoid most of the trauma, but the shock on both Len and IA's faces were enough.

"Drowned? Len was d-drowned?" IA gasped, her blue cat stuffie falling to the ground with a thud.

"I…I don't understand. Why would the killer want to drown me when he could kill me some other way?" Len stammered, sinking towards the ground like a huge weight had been thrown over his spiritual body, dragging him down to earth.

"I don't know. It might've been something personal. Whoever he was, he was talking about you not forgiving him for something. You think of anyone who might've fit the description?" Miku asked, watching Len closely.

"Of course not, unless…unless you're talking about Piko, of course. But we broke ties a month before I died. He wouldn't just suddenly decide to kill me, would he?" Len muttered, his chin sinking into the collar of his coat, confusion and something that looked like anger clouding his eyes.

Miku remembered her talk with Piko. As disturbed as he may have appeared, Miku didn't think Piko fit into the suspect list, but she put him there anyways. _Just in case,_ she reminded herself. _Just in case._ Piko had seemed perfectly capable of having the will to kill someone, after all. He'd even had the brains to trick her.

"By the way, where are you guys going after this?" IA asked casually.

"Oh, well, I was thinking of going home to take a rest. A lot of things happened today," Miku said. She glanced over at Len and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Hmm? Oh, maybe go back and watch over Rin, not that I'd be able to do anything to help," Len replied, recovering from his moment of depression.

"Oh, right," Miku absentmindedly said. She'd almost forgotten Len was a ghost even though she was solving his own murder case. She forgot Len probably didn't have a home to live in the ghost world. It suddenly made her feel guiltier for talking about going home.

"Don't worry about it," Len said, noticing Miku's guilty look. "I usually stand outside the house anyways. It helps to know Rin's safe."

The three of them fell silent for a while as Miku looked for something to say. For some reason, the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't go away, as if something Len had said was disturbing her. Of course he could look over his sister. There was nothing wrong with that. So why was she feeling so…jealous?

Miku shook her head. She would never feel jealous. Len was her client, albeit a strange one, and that was that.

"So, I guess we'll be going then? Unless you have something else to add, IA?" Miku asked, getting to her feet.

"Eh…well, did you guys talk to Gumi yet?" IA asked, bending over to retrieve her stuffed animal.

Miku frowned at the name when she suddenly slapped her forehead. She'd completely forgotten about Len and Rin's neighbor. She guessed she'd been too occupied with the thought that Len might've committed suicide at the time. She sighed, "I guess I'll do that tomorrow. I'm completely beat today. Is there something Gumi might know?"

"Maybe. She's pretty close to the Kagamine's after all. She might have noticed if Len was up to something on the day his death," IA replied, exchanging a glance with Len. "She remembers little details that most people might not care about. We would've invited her to join if we hadn't been afraid of her blurting it out to Rin."

"Rin, huh? Is she really that scary?" Miku asked, thinking back to the laid back, cheerful girl she'd met that morning.

"Very. She almost ran Oliver over with our roadroller the day we first met him. Rin thought he was some freak monster or something," Len shuddered at the memory. He paused for a moment before quickly adding, "Now it's just something we used to joke about, of course."

Miku felt a dry smile appear on her face. She made a mental note to self to never scare Rin.

"Oh right, here's something you might like," IA said, suddenly bouncing into the kitchen and retrieving two packets of something that looked extremely like tea. She handed one pack to Miku and said, "It helps you stay awake so if you're ever tired, chew on some of it. You know, so you don't miss anything important in the investigation. I really hope you solve Len's case!"

"Thanks," Miku replied, tucking the packet into her pocket. It was a strange surprise to her to have a stranger she'd just met not even an hour ago give her something as a gift. She could already see her needing the gift in future days, supposing that Len made her get up early again.

"And this, is for you," IA said, holding out the other packet to Len.

Len stared at her, his eyebrows raised, before asking, "And how am I supposed to use it?"

"It's something magical I created the other day. Helps you gain a material body if you hang it around your neck. Plus you can touch it. See?" IA demonstrated, setting the packet in Len's wary hand. It stayed there, even after IA let go of the packet, much to Len and Miku's shock.

"T-thanks, IA. I…I don't know what to say," Len mumbled, staring at the black pouch in his hand.

"Don't thank me. I just felt you might need it someday, maybe for a prank, I don't know. It only makes you materialize if it's around your neck, so don't forget that. Don't ask me how I know that, though," IA grinned as she walked them to the door. "Come visit again if you want! I love visitors!"

"Sure thing," Miku smiled back as they left and entered the now busy streets. Far away, a church bell tolled once, making Miku narrow her eyes in confusion. She asked Len, "How long was I out?"

"Hmm? About an hour maybe," Len replied, keeping close to Miku and yet careful not to touch her. Miku guessed that he was afraid she might faint again.

"Don't feel bad about what happened back there," Miku said. "Besides, we got a new lead too."

"Yeah, I guess," Len mumbled, unconvinced.

They reached an intersection. Miku glanced over to see a bus station that would take her home. She said, "Well, see you tomorrow?"

"Same time, same place," Len said, nodding. "Do you think you could—"

"Miku!" someone shouted, barreling into her with such a force that she tumbled back. She grumbled at the sight of Kaito's blue hair as he patted her head.

"Where were you today?" Luka asked from behind them. "You disappeared quite early."

"Yeah, well no thanks to you, I have a case on my hands," Miku sighed, wrestling herself from Kaito's grip.

"Ooh, cool. What's it about?" Kaito asked in an interested tone as the three set off for the bus station.

"A murder case. The victim was a teenager named Kagamine Len," Miku said, deciding it wouldn't hurt to reveal that much. She already had a lie prepared if they were to ask how she came across the case.

Luka and Miku kept walking when they realized Kaito had frozen in his tracks, staring back at Miku.

"Hey, something wrong?" Miku asked. Luka snickered, "Did all that ice cream finally freeze your brain, you idiot?"

Kaito snapped out of his trance and caught up with them. He muttered, "Nah, it's nothing." Before Miku could send him a questioning glance, he exclaimed, "So who's ready for some ice cream?"

Miku sighed as he dragged the two of them into the nearest ice cream parlor, their original destination forgotten. She suddenly remembered that Len had been about to say something to her. She looked for his figure but found he had disappeared.

Miku's sigh grew heavier. _Today is going to be one painfully long day_, she decided. The ice cream parlor door shut behind her just as she snuck one piece of the herb IA had given her into her mouth, waiting as Luka and Kaito finished arguing with a tired smile on her face.

* * *

**A/N: And this was one painfully long chapter... Epic sigh...**

**Sorry, it was sorta another filler. Just really didn't feel like writing something important this week, with school and stuff.**

**Thanks for all the reviews! I saw a lot of reviews saying Oliver wasn't the killer. I guess he's not, or is he? Well, I guess you have to read on to find out. He'll appear in a chapter or two, I think.**

**Thanks again for reading! Hope you're enjoying the story!**


	10. The Problem

**A/N: So I forgot last chapter, but this story made it to 10 chapters! Now 11…but, you know, wheee!**

**So I posted a random cover pic I drew as a desperate attempt to avoid my hw. Hope you guys can recognize everyone in the pic! Their quality probably depended on the order I drew them…..**

**Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for all the support these past chapters!**

* * *

The next day Miku awoke to find the sky clogged with dark clouds. It was around eight in the morning, so Miku didn't know if Len would still be waiting in the same place as yesterday, not that they'd specifically arranged a meeting time. She had that ice cream blockhead to thank for that.

She recalled Kaito's reaction when she had said the name Kagamine Len. Definitely suspicious behavior, but she'd have to figure out their relationship first. Her goal right now though was to meet up with Len and figure out if she needed an umbrella or not. She ended up grabbing a clear umbrella from the front hall before she started to head out.

"Hey Miku! You going somewhere?"

Miku glanced back to see Luka running up to catch up with her, almost tripping on the steps. She replied, "Uh, yeah. Do you need something, Luka?"

"Not really. You've been getting up real early. Who's this client of yours? You need your sleep!" Luka stated, putting her hands on her hips.

"I have the obligation to keep my client's information a secret," Miku snickered. Luka was always trying her best to take care of Miku. That was probably why they were the closest of friends. "Besides, it's not that early. You're up, aren't you?"

Luka pouted. It was well known in the agency that Luka was the latest riser out of all the detectives living there. She sighed and said, "Okay, okay. Just don't come back so late. We're having the festival here tonight, so get back by four, got it?"

"No prob. Anything else you wanna add?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering, since he's not in his room, but have you seen Kaito?" Luka asked, glancing back upstairs where the dorms were.

"No, I haven't. That's strange. He usually never gets up without making a huge racket," Miku commented, following Luka's gaze. Luka finally let her go so Miku waved goodbye and left the agency, turning into the gray streets.

She hadn't walked far from the agency when someone hissed, "Oi, Miku!"

She glanced into the alleyway near the building. She caught a glimpse of dark blue hair and sighed before joining Kaito. Miku asked, "Something wrong?"

"What? Oh, no, just…I wanted to ask you something," Kaito hastily replied, glancing around as if nervous.

"Something we can't decide in front of the others?" Miku asked, raising her eyebrows. Kaito usually never kept secrets. This was definitely something new.

"Kinda…you'll keep this a secret, right?" Kaito asked.

"Depends what you say, but yeah, I will," Miku agreed, leaning back on the wall facing Kaito.

"It's…it's about the case you were talking about. The one with Kagamine Len. I…I have something to ask you."

His reply took Miku by surprise. The mood was so serious that it almost made her uncomfortable. She asked, "You didn't do anything wrong, did you?"

"No, of course not," Kaito quickly said. "I just wanted to know how you came across the case?"

Miku studied Kaito long and hard before replying, "Sorry, Kaito. I can't say, but a friend asked me to look into it, if it helps."

"Oh, I see…" Kaito trailed off, looking back out at the street.

Miku took her chance and asked, "Mind if I ask your relation to Kagamine Len?"

"He paid for my ice cream once," Kaito replied almost immediately. His words were so smooth that Miku couldn't tell if it was the truth or just a well-practiced lie.

"I see. Well, do you need me to do something for you?" Miku offered, hoping to coax anything else out of Kaito.

"Ice cream?" Kaito asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

Miku hit him in the head with her umbrella, glowering at Kaito. She grumbled, "So is that the reason why you called me here? To somehow convince me to get you ice cream?"

"What? It didn't work?" Kaito whimpered, clutching his head though a grin was on his face.

Miku couldn't help but smile back. Kaito was older than her and yet there were times when he acted like a five year old. She sighed let Kaito follow her into the nearest fast food restaurant. She got a sandwich to go and let Kaito mope around with his ice cream cone before setting off again to meet Len.

As she rode the bus, she thought back to the scene in the alley. She'd never seen Kaito so serious before. In the end she still didn't understand just what Kaito had wanted to know back there. As much as she'd like to believe it, Miku knew it was something other than ice cream.

She sighed and let her thoughts swirl around in her brain as she absentmindedly ate her breakfast. The answer was out there. If she could just find the point where they all connected, Miku was sure she could find the answer.

If only her suspects and victim weren't so vague… Miku silently complained to herself, staring out the window. She was glad she'd brought her umbrella. Already, rain was starting to pour, rushing down from the dark skies like some ominous sign from above.

* * *

Len had been waiting outside his house for a whole hour, and he was not happy. Just where was Hatsune Miku? He would've left a long time ago had he not been a ghost needing Miku's help.

It didn't help his temper that the clouds above looked like it would rain in any moment. He'd never been in a storm as a ghost yet, so he wasn't sure what would happen. His last resort, of course, would be to duck into his home before anything bad could happen.

Still bored, Len took out the small pouch IA had given him yesterday. It was a nice design on the outside, with just enough string attached to it to throw over his neck. That morning he'd even tried to use it. He'd actually managed to open the door to the café that he, IA and Oliver used to go together, where a cashier actually asked him for his order like he hadn't died at all. Luckily he'd had a little change on him, just enough so that he wouldn't have to leave empty handed. Food had never tasted so good. It was like the pouch granted him temporary reincarnation.

Len didn't dare to wear it out here in the neighborhood though. He didn't think well of the idea of scaring Rin, Oliver, or Gumi with his sudden appearance, even though he was supposedly dead.

The rain suddenly started to fall with a huge rush, pounding onto the pavement. As he thought, the rain just fell through him, but with every drop, he suddenly felt a strange chill run through him.

Len remembered what Miku had said yesterday at IA's. She'd seen Len drown in a bathtub, killed by someone he obviously once trusted before something happened. The feeling of water running through him made Len nauseous. Afraid something wrong might happen. Len flew through the walls of his home, only to crash into Rin, who was looking out the window.

Rin suddenly shivered, taking a step back into the hall. Oliver called out from the kitchen, "Hey, Rin, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rin replied. "It's just that, for a second, I thought I could feel Len standing in here, somewhere."

Oliver, who had been coming out of the kitchen with a soupspoon in his hand, suddenly froze in his tracks, his right eye widening in surprise. Len watched as he quickly regained his natural smile. He herded Rin towards the kitchen as he hastily said, "Don't think too much about it. You were probably hungry, that's what."

As Rin let out a cheer when she saw breakfast, Len studied Oliver, the grin still plastered on his face. It was nice to know Oliver was doing his best to help Rin get over Len's death, but there was something strange about Oliver.

Miku's words rang in his head again. "And if Oliver really ends up as the killer?" she had asked. Len felt his fists clench together. He knew he could prove Oliver's innocence. Len knew Oliver would never kill him, no matter what happened.

If only Len could find out just what was wrong…


	11. The Café Scene

By the time Miku finally arrived in the neighborhood, the rain had finally stopped, giving up and letting the sun emerge through the clouds. She stretched her arms and let out a yawn. The ride had been longer than she'd remembered.

She looked around for Len. Not seeing him, Miku wondered if he had gone back on his word. Or maybe he got bored of waiting for her. Miku glanced at her watch. It was almost nine. Knowing Len, he'd probably been waiting here since the crack of dawn with nothing better to do.

Somehow, Miku felt disappointed. She'd been almost anticipating Len to accompany her to Gumi's house. Even if Gumi couldn't see Len, his presence was somewhat reassuring, not to mention he could provide her with details.

With a sigh, Miku headed towards Gumi's home. It was a small one-story house, the front yard neatly covered in flowerbeds and grass. Miku made her way among the path, avoiding the tiny statues that stood there, their eyes looking like they were following Miku's every move. Boy, she really wished Len was there with her.

She knocked on the green, wooden door three times before it swung open. A green haired girl was in the doorway, a pair of goggles over her eyes, dressed in jeans and a tank top. The girl pushed her goggles back onto her forehead with gloved hands before asking, "Can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Hatsune Miku. I heard you were an acquaintance of Kagamine Len?"

The girl blinked twice before replying, "Oh…"

"Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Miku asked.

"Yeah, sure, I guess. Come on in," she said, stepping aside to let Miku into her home. "I'm Gumi by the way, though I'm sure you already knew that."

"You have a nice home," Miku commented, looking around. It was a small cozy place, the walls painted with a forest green color that calmed Miku.

"Yeah. The Kagamines helped me move in a few years back. I make things for a living, you see," Gumi replied, leading Miku over to a small kitchen table. "So, you wanted to know something about Len?"

"Ah, well, first things first. Could you tell me what you did on the day of his death?" Miku asked.

"I'm a suspect too, huh?" Gumi stated, an amused smile on her face. "Okay, then. May 1st, right?"

She turned around and fumbled through a bookshelf behind her. She grabbed something that looked like a diary and thumbed through it before replying, "Well, I woke up at 6:50 in the morning as usual and was working in the backyard. For proof, you can ask the neighbors. I make a racket, but since I do make lots of their utilities and stuff, they don't usually complain. Then I went out for lunch since my fridge was empty. Oh, so that's where I saw Len I guess."

"Where did you see him?"

"Garden Café, this small place out of town. He was with Oliver and this pink haired girl I hadn't seen before. I was sitting about two tables away in a hoodie, so they probably didn't notice me."

"Could you hear them?" Miku asked, hoping she wasn't pressing the issue.

Gumi grinned and pointed to her ears. She said, "I have the best ears in the world. I didn't mean to eavesdrop of course, but I couldn't help it. I'm guessing you already know about Len's little detective group, right?"

"Yeah," Miku replied, studying the girl. She could sort of understand how IA thought talking to Gumi would be helpful. Her perceptions and senses were really good.

"Anyways, they were talking about boring stuff. The recent case you solved that appeared in the newspaper, their ideas of how to solve their own case. Though I have to say, Len was acting a bit quiet."

"Really? What's he usually like?"

"Loud," Gumi said, stressing the word. "He was always bursting with ideas. I think the kidnapping sorta sobered him up a bit, but otherwise he was fine."

"You've known him for a long time?" Miku asked.

"I guess. Rin and I are best of buddies, so I saw him and Oliver a lot too. I think Rin's had it hard with Len's death. She tries really hard not to show it, but I think something broke inside her when Len died. I wish I could help her, but I'm only good with mechanics," Gumi said with a sigh.

"I see… Well, did anything else happen at the café?" Miku asked. She remembered Rin's reactions during her interrogation. Maybe she ought to go check on her after leaving Gumi's house.

"Oh, now that you speak of it. Really bad stuff happened," Gumi said, shivering.

"Bad stuff?" Miku repeated.

Gumi nodded and replied, "The pink haired girl left after a while, saying she had something to do. Len and Oliver stayed there was a while before the blue haired dude joined them."

"Blue hair?" Miku asked, her eyebrows furrowing. A picture of Kaito's silly face appeared in her hair, but it had to be a coincidence, right?"

"Yep. I don't know his name, but he visits the Kagamines sometimes. They were whispering about something, and Len's face was so serious, I had to blink twice to make sure it was him."

"What were they talking about?" Miku asked.

"Sorry. Even my ears couldn't pick that up," Gumi said apologetically, twirling a strand of green hair.

"Then how did you know it was bad stuff?" Miku asked.

"Ah, well…I was watching them, you know. Len had a really solemn look on his face. He was whispering something to the person who joined them, who had this contained but upset look on his face. I was just finishing my smoothie when the really bad stuff happened," Gumi said at her own pace. Miku waited patiently for her to continue. Gumi leaned forward on the table with her hands crossed. She said, "That's when Oliver jumped out of his seat. I hadn't been watching him really, but he had this really angry and almost horrified look on his face. He shouted something about Len being crazy and called him a stupid bastard. First time I ever saw Oliver lose his cool. Len didn't even look at Oliver when he stormed out. The other one got up after Oliver and left Len in the café."

Miku stared at Gumi, trying to process it all. Oliver hadn't mentioned any of that except for the part about meeting IA and Len at the café. She asked, "What happened after that?"

"Nothing really," Gumi shrugged. "Len paid for the lunch, including the other guy's huge sundae. I'm guessing Len had his reasons for meeting with everyone, though he didn't look too happy when he left the café."

Oliver's outburst. The mystery person with the huge sundae. A sinking feeling in heart, Miku tentatively asked, "Did this person wear a blue scarf by the way?"

Gumi looked surprised. She answered, "How did you know? He was also wearing this white coat even though it was really warm. Do you know him?"

Miku gave a timid smile and stood up. She said, "No, it's nothing. Thanks a lot for your time."

"Oh, no problem. Come back if you ever need more help or info," Gumi replied, looking slightly confused. She accompanied Miku to the door, where Miku left the house and back outside. The air was strangely cold, as if the storm was threatening to return.

Miku was walking towards Rin's house now. Just as she was halfway there, Miku suddenly muttered, "Kaito, you goddamn lying bastard."

And she punched his number into her phone and waited for him to pick up. He had a question too many to answer.

* * *

**A/N: Okay… so I'm guessing next chap has to be the phone call, right? **

**To tell the truth I didn't even plan to give Kaito a part in this… Hope I made the right decision. **

**Again, thanks for reading! I really appreciate all the support!**


	12. The Phone Call

Kaito had been watching a mystery drama on TV, eating straight out of a tub of ice cream, when his phone started ringing. He glanced over, slightly annoyed. The show had just been about to expose the killer. Such good timing.

The caller was Miku. Kaito sighed. He knew she'd probably call him sooner or later. He let the phone ring until it fell silent. A few moments later, it started ringing again. This time, when it fell silent, he heard his phone switch to voicemail and Miku's voice furiously hissed, "Kaito you idiot! I know you're there so pick up the phone!"

He sighed. He knew it had to be about Kagamine Len, but he would've loved to talk about anything but that. When the phone rang a fourth time, Kaito gave in. He picked up the phone and began the biggest scheme of his life.

* * *

"Kaito!" Miku shouted the moment the call went through.

There was a long pause, like Kaito was recovering from the attack on his ears. Finally, he lazily asked, "Yes, Miku?"

"Don't give me yes! You have a lot of explaining to do!" Miku exclaimed.

Another pause. Kaito asked, "About what?"

"What did you do on May 1st?"

"Sa… who knows?" came Kaito's vague reply. Miku wanted to strangle him.

"Fine then. I'm asking you for the last time, but what the hell is your relationship with Len?" Miku growled, frustrated. The wind was picking up as she stood there in front of the Kagamine residence. She was going to deal with Kaito and then face Oliver. She was done with vague answers. She was going to have both Kaito and Oliver spit out everything they knew about the day of Len's death.

"Oh, you mean Kagamine Len, right?" Kaito asked back.

"Yes. And don't give me the stupid 'he bought me ice cream' crap. I know very well you met him and Oliver on the day he died. You've been to their house. So what is your relationship?" Miku demanded, hoping her directness was enough to make Kaito stop beating around the bush.

Kaito was silent again, and Miku was reaching the end of her patience. Just before she could throw some other insult at Kaito, he suddenly said in a quiet voice, "So you've found out a lot, huh?"

"Yes, I did. So can you please tell me what you have to do with Len now?" Miku stressed, exasperated.

Kaito sighed on the other end of the phone. He replied in a completely serious tone, "Okay, fine. I really didn't want to say this, but… I'm his dad."

Miku froze on the sidewalk, staring straight in front of her, her eyes narrowing in shock. Her mind was racing like crazy when she caught a chuckle from Kaito's end of the phone. She shouted, "That wasn't funny, you lying bastard!"

Kaito burst into a hearty laughter. Miku could already imagine him wiping tears from his eyes as he cracked up. He laughed, "You actually took that seriously!" Another burst of laughter before, "Seriously, you think I'm old enough?"

Miku fell silent. It was true. She'd been stupid to take Kaito seriously, not to mention he himself was only some four, five years older than her. Definitely not old enough to be Len's dad.

"Well, I wasn't exactly joking," Kaito said, returning to his serious tone. "You could say I was his guardian."

Somehow that didn't sound as mind-blowing now that Kaito had already shocked her. It was plausible, now that she thought about it. She remembered Kaito was twenty something already, old enough to be a legal guardian, especially since the Kagamines' parents were apparently overseas. She continued, "So you have anything to add after that?"

"Eh, we were family friends, so I've known the two since I was a kid I guess," Kaito replied.

"Then why didn't you say anything about Len's death?" Miku asked.

Kaito fell silent again. Slowly, he replied, "Sorry I didn't want to talk about it much. I guess I just didn't want to bother you guys about it."

Another vague response. Normally Kaito would tell the agency everything, though he was mostly complaining about a lack of ice cream. Miku sighed and decided to move to the more pressing issue. She asked, "Then what were you doing on May 1st?"

Another extremely long pause. Miku wasn't sure if she should grind her teeth together out of frustration or just order Kaito to spit everything out. Neither seemed to be very helpful. Kaito eventually said, "I met with Len in a café. We talked about stuff and then I left."

"And what did you talk about?" Miku led on. Kaito was being strangely difficult today. Then again, he wasn't even acting like himself.

"Do I really have to tell you?" Kaito whined, letting out a long sigh.

"Yes you should. I got you ice cream in the morning, remember?" Miku sighed.

"But soft serve doesn't taste great!" Kaito complained, a loud thump coming from the other end of the phone like he'd plopped onto a couch.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Miku said through her teeth. She really didn't have the patience for Kaito's whining now. She glanced up at the clouds above her. They were slowly advancing towards the area, dark and stormy. She didn't want to have to finish her call inside the Kagamine's house.

Kaito let out another long sigh and said, "Okay, fine… Len was in a bad mood, that's all. Not sure what happened, but he was accusing us of stuff, and I guess Oliver finally cracked. You think they managed to reconcile?"

Miku let the question hang in the air. She wondered how horrible it might be for Oliver, supposing he wasn't the killer, if he had never gotten the chance to make up with his friend. Miku replied, "I hope they did."

"Yeah, same. So now can I go?" Kaito asked. "I still really don't wanna talk about it."

"You know how much more helpful you could've been if you had said this from the start?" Miku accused with a sigh.

"You know what, Miku?" Kaito suddenly said.

"What?"

"Maybe you should drop the case," Kaito suggested.

Miku stared at her phone. Kaito? Telling her to drop a case? She snorted and said, "Seriously, has your brain frozen from all that ice cream you eat?"

"No, Miku. I'm serious. There's only bad things from here on out. It's better if you let Len rest in peace," Kaito replied, dead serious.

Miku snapped, "And what if Len really didn't commit suicide? Don't you think he'd feel more at peace if his killer was exposed?"

"How would you know that that's what he wants? You didn't even know him!" Kaito defended. Miku had never heard him so agitated before, but that only irritated her even more.

"You know what, Kaito? You're sounding really suspicious to me, and I hope you know that!" Miku snarled. "You think I don't know Len? Well guess who was that imaginary friend I was talking to the other day? Len was the one who told me to solve his case, and I'll make sure I deliver justice to the murderer who killed him, even if that person is you!"

With that, she snapped her phone shut and stormed over to Len's house, steam coming out of her ears. Only when she was knocking furiously on the front door did she realize her big mistake. Just how was she going to make that up with Kaito now?

* * *

Kaito sighed as the buzzing reached his ears. He shut off his phone and collapsed on the couch. Miku and her hot temper. They really seemed to get the best of him most times.

He reached for his ice cream when he realized it had all melted. A good half a tub of ice cream. It wasn't even that warm in the room. With a sigh, he dropped it into the trash. A familiar soundtrack drifted into his ears. Horrified, Kaito snapped his eyes towards the TV. The show had already ended, the ending song playing its usual melancholy tune. He'd been so absorbed in his conversation with Miku that he hadn't even noticed that the show had already uncovered the killer. Now he'd probably never know, though it might've been a good thing for him. The main character had been really suspicious, and Kaito really hoped he wasn't the killer. Still, after thinking about, Kaito really wished he knew who the culprit was.

Letting out a dejected whine, Kaito fell back on the couch, staring up at the white ceiling. A loud boom echoed outside, signaling the return of the storm.

_Today was going to be just great_, Kaito thought to himself as he let out a huge yawn. It was about time he got back to work.

* * *

**A/N: I guess I can say good work to myself for writing this much today... though really, what am I doing with my life? I could've done so much hw by now...**

**Well... hope that was an enjoyable chapter to read, though it's really late...**

**My homework... -_-**

**Thanks for reading! If I don't post next week, well... you can suppose I died from homework overload. Or I just got too lazy after writing three chapters total this week (more actually). Thanks too for the reviews and support! **


	13. Murder and Abduction

Rin was the one who answered the door. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Miku as she exclaimed, "Oh hi! How are you doing?"

"I'm great," Miku lied, putting on a smile. She would've been much better, if Kaito hadn't just ruined her day. She just hoped Oliver would do better.

"I was just about to make lunch," Rin said. "Wanna stay for a while? There's a storm coming this way after all."

Miku thanked her and went in. The house was warm and bright compared to the stormy weather that was closing in on the house outside. In the corner of her eye, she saw Len in the corner, staring out the window. Rin went off to the kitchen to finish making lunch. Miku took the chance and ducked into the living room.

"How's it going?" Miku asked, startling Len out of his thoughts.

"Oh, I thought you were still outside," Len replied, turning to face Miku.

"You were watching me?" Miku asked. She was sure that if Len had been standing there the whole time, he must have seen her little outburst. Not exactly what she had planned.

"Yeah. You were talking to someone. Who was it?" Len asked, drifting off towards the hallway.

"Kaito. Is it true that he's your guardian?" Miku tartly asked Len's retreating figure.

He froze, his bangs gently brushing forward from the momentum. Slowly he turned around, looking wary. He asked, "What does Kaito have to do with this?"

"Apparently you and Oliver met up with him on the day you died. He said you were accusing him and Oliver of things. Do you know why you would do such a thing?"

Len was silent, his bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. He took a breath and said, "Kaito, he's always been nice to Rin and me. I got so much help from him, but I didn't see him at all for a month before I died. I don't know why I'd suddenly meet with him… unless…"

"Unless what?" Miku pressed on, her eyes trained on Len's suddenly serious expression.

He met her eyes, a new fire sparkling in them. He replied, "I was investigating a case before I died. A woman named Sakine Meiko had been found dead in her home in mid April. She was in her early twenties, supporting her younger sister through a waiting job at a café. Apparently, she'd fallen from the stairs and hit her head, resulting in her death. It was labeled as an accident at first, but Meiko's cousin came to us asking to investigate. She said a man had visited Meiko and there had been a fight just as the cousin left to send Meiko's sister to school. She didn't remember anything about the man except that he smelled like vanilla, but we promised to look into it for her. IA managed to collect a ton of information for us while Oliver snuck into the police station to sneak a look at her body to check for foul play, since he is our forensic after all."

"Wait, Oliver did what?" Miku hissed, her eyes widening.

"Um, is there something wrong?" Oliver asked, poking his head out of a different room, causing Miku to jump in surprise.

She stammered, "Oh, well no, I was just thinking to myself."

"I see. Rin's taking a long time, don't you think? With the food, I mean," Oliver said, glancing over at the kitchen, where the sound of clattering pots and pans still reverberated across the tiled walls.

"Should we go help her?" Miku asked, cringing as an especially loud crash sounded from the kitchen.

"No worries. Rin's usually like that. Though, I mean, normally you can't even hear such a racket with the amount of doors between here and the kitchen. Today she said she thought she felt Len's presence in the morning. I think she's sort of on edge right now," Oliver explained, though he was casting anxious glances over at the kitchen. Miku nodded silently as Len flew next to them to listen.

"Oh right, have you made any progress with Len's case?" Oliver asked, emerging from his thoughts.

"Um, yeah. Gumi told me you got into a fight with Len?" Miku replied, hoping Oliver wouldn't burst or something.

Oliver looked blinked a few times, his eyes narrowing, but otherwise, his face remained composed. He said, "Oh, yeah, sorry, I, uh well, I guess I can't say I forgot to tell you about it, can I now? I wouldn't kill Len for that though, if that's what you were thinking."

"Well, no, actually. I also learned that you guys were working on some murder case," Miku stated, deciding to get to the point. Since Oliver had cut into Len's explanation, he might as well finish it. "So did you actually sneak into the morgue?"

"Gah, IA, she told you, didn't she?" Oliver lamented, massaging his forehead. "I'm not going to get in trouble, am I?"

"No, not as long as I don't tell the police. IA didn't tell me the rest though. What happened?" Miku questioned, playing along.

Oliver's face turned hard and serious. He sighed and said, "Well, after examining the body, I agreed with the police. It was just an accident. Only her head had been hit, no struggle or anything. I tried to reason with Len, saying that even if the man had been present at the accident, I could understand why he didn't wish to be a witness. The police would probably just end up pointing fingers at the innocent man."

"And I'm guessing from your tone that Len objected?"

Oliver nodded. "He said the truth still had to be known. To him, it was still a crime that the man would leave Meiko there on her own rather than report it to the police and try to get help. I had to play along, but, well, just look at how that turned out."

"What do you mean?" Miku asked, confused.

A sullen look appeared on Oliver's face. He muttered, "Len dragged me to the café that day. We chatted with IA before she left to catch fireflies or something for something she was making. That's when Kaito came. Len said he'd asked Kaito to come. I thought it was just for some friendly talk, you know, like "Long time no see" and stuff."

The kitchen was strangely silent now, as if even Rin knew to stop making noise, dragging on the silence to a bursting point. Miku waited patiently as Oliver collected his thoughts. Len fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably in the air.

Finally Oliver continued, "Len, he didn't meet with Kaito to do anything of the sort. He just sat there and asked Kaito why he left Meiko like that. Straight to the point."

Miku stared at Oliver for quite a while before glancing at Len's somewhat guilty looking face. She tried to think of something to say, but her mind failed her. Kaito had been involved in a person's death. It just seemed to too unreal for her, remembering Kaito's cheerful, childlike personality. To think he would hide such a terrible accident behind all that was just unthinkable.

"Why did he think Kaito was involved?" Miku asked, finally collecting one sentence to ask.

"Len said he caught Kaito visiting her grave, apologizing for being a coward or something. I agreed that it made sense, since Kaito does smell like vanilla when he just finishes his ice cream, but I… I couldn't take how Len was being so cold, almost like he was blaming Kaito. He's a good person. He might be a detective like you, Miku, but he probably was too shocked to do anything other than run away. Wouldn't you think so too?" Oliver asked, his intense eyes questioning Miku.

Miku was silent. It was still hard to digest the fact that Kaito had been involved with someone else's death, but Kaito wasn't exactly the most chivalrous detective she knew either. It was understandable that he'd run away, but shouldn't he have at least said something about the accident? It suddenly made sense, why Kaito wanted Miku to drop the case. He must've not wanted to Miku to come across his own little secret.

"But the accident, it really was just an accident, correct?" Miku wanted to reaffirm.

Oliver firmly nodded. "Besides, don't you find the cousin more suspicious? How can you remember nothing but a scent of vanilla when someone comes to your house? She was the one who found Meiko, too."

"So are you trying to say this cousin was trying to set Kaito up?" Miku asked, her brows furrowing. Lightning flashed outside, the torrent of the storm finally starting up. She sent Len a questioning look, wondering if he remembered any of this. His face was clouded with confusion. Miku knew Len must be desperately searching his mind for answers.

"I don't know," Oliver shrugged. "I might be overthinking things."

Another long pause.

"You don't think Kaito would hate Len for this, would you?" Miku suddenly asked Oliver, dragging him out of his silence.

Oliver looked slightly startled. He stammered, "O-of course not! Kaito would never do something like that!"

The distressed tone in his voice sent alarms going off Miku's brain. She couldn't convince herself that Oliver was telling the truth. Maybe she really ought to toughen up and question Kaito about his innocence in Len's case. At least Oliver didn't look suspicious anymore. She wondered if Len was happy about that.

"By the way, what was Kaito's relationship with Meiko?" Miku asked. She knew her chances of getting the answer out of Kaito was slim, so she decided to test her luck with Oliver.

He fell silent again before replying, "I'm sorry. I met with Kaito once after Len's death. It was in the graveyard. He was visiting both Len and Meiko, so I asked him about Meiko. He told me he'd only tell if I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone, even in the face of death. I take my promises really seriously."

"Don't worry about then," Miku said, letting the issue slide. It was just something to satisfy her own curiosity for the moment. She wasn't dying to pry into Kaito's personal business, unless he was still hiding something. She added, "By the way, what was Meiko's cousin's name?"

"Oh, I think her name was Meg—"

A bloodcurdling scream cut right through his sentence, shooting alarm right through Miku's spine, coming right from the kitchen.

"Rin!" Len shouted, flying straight towards the kitchen, the alarm and fear clearly visible on his face. Oliver was a step behind, swinging open doors and stumbling through the halls, Miku racing after him. Len's desperate cries were ringing in her ears even after they reached the kitchen. The sight made Miku's heart feel like stone.

The glass doors that led to the porch had been shattered, the wind and rain all raging outside with a renewed fury. Rin was gone, the only sign of her was a thin trail of blood leading outside, a cracked plate lying on the floor. Len was looking around furiously, trying to find something that might help his sister. Miku, despite the horror, managed to wonder if Len was somehow unable to touch water.

"How could this happen?" Oliver gasped, staggering back to lean on the wall.

"Who would do this? Can you think of anyone?" Miku hurriedly asked, trying to assess the situation. The abductor couldn't have gone far. She cursed herself for not checking on Rin earlier.

"I don't know! How could I let this happen! I promised Len! I promised to keep Rin safe! What am I going to do now?" Oliver cried. He was clearly close to breaking down from all the emotions that had slowly piled up on him.

"Oliver, it's okay! Len won't blame you for this. I know he won't!" Miku said, clutching Oliver's thin shoulders to calm him down.

"How do you know?" Oliver snapped, tears starting to brim his right eye.

"Because I'm right here."

Miku spun around to see Len standing there, his feet firmly planted on the ground. The colors of his skin and hair suddenly looked solid, no longer having the misty appearance that he used to be, the small flowered pouch hanging over his neck. Miku stepped back away from Oliver unconsciously as Len approached from the other side.

"L-Len…how?" Oliver stammered, words failing him.

"That's not important. I'm not angry with you. Just tell us everything you know. We have to find Rin, and fast!" Len said in a demanding voice that Miku had never heard before. His fierce eyes burned with a determination even stronger then when he had been nothing but a ghost, so piercing that even Miku suddenly felt obliged to listen to whatever Len had to say.

"I…" Oliver gulped hard and his stare refocused on Len. "There's only one person who might do this. It had to be—"

A loud bang exploded in Miku's ears, devouring Oliver's sentence. She and Len watched in horror as Oliver suddenly gasped, a pool of red flowering over his stomach, staining his white shirt. He collapsed to the ground just as Miku ran to the back door, trying to see something, anything in the dark, from where the shot had been fired.

She could've sworn she saw a glimpse of silvery white hair shimmer through the storm before vanishing. Miku exchanged a glance with Len, who was desperately trying to help Oliver. A desolate look in his eyes, he shouted, "Just hurry and go!"

Miku nodded and leapt out of the broken glass, straight into the raging storm. A quick look around found the culprit racing through the backyard, towards the main street. Miku leapt off the porch, ignoring the pain in her legs as she chased after him, pushing through the rain.

Utatane Piko was not going to escape. She swore it on her life.

* * *

**A/N: O_O ... Someone shoot me.**

**Note: I was not planning any of this. I just wrote and wrote and somehow Meiko died and Rin got abducted. Oliver was going to get shot anyways, one way or the other, but still... WHAT AM I DOING?**

**Anyways, if you guys want Oliver to live, tell me. I'll decide his "fate" by the responses, votes, whatever you guys call it. Though I might end up letting him live anyways, but you never know. I might be in a terrible mood later...**

**I also realized Piko and Rin were sorta being left out in the past few chapters, so I stuck them back in. Maybe I shouldn't have, with all this drama happening...**

**Thanks for reading! I might be too busy later on this week to do some actual writing, so I did an early update. I know it got sort of long since I clumped everything together, but I hope you enjoyed it! Also, a big thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites!**


	14. The Verge of Death

Len had already called the ambulance, almost tripping on his way to the only phone in the house. He hadn't felt this scared before, not since he'd died. They had said five minutes. Five minutes to decide Oliver's life or death.

Was five minutes even enough? Len mentally banged his head on the wall. Of course it was. He had to believe it was.

Oliver was slumped over next to the wall, his head hanging slightly down against his chest. Len glanced anxiously at the makeshift bandage he'd made from wrapping the blankets he'd grabbed from the couch. He'd tried using his coat, but apparently it had the same ghostlike attributes as he did once it left his body. Even the blanket, wound tightly around Oliver's stomach, was starting to show blotches of red.

"Hey, Oliver, can you hear me?" Len asked quietly, not wanting to jerk Oliver from wherever he was.

Oliver's right eye blinked once, his fingers twitching. A groan escaped from the back of his throat as he tried to lift his head.

"It's okay. Don't move too much. Just stay with me, okay, Oliver?" Len said, helping Oliver position his head back so it was leaning against the wall.

"Rin…" Oliver muttered, his face contorting in pain. "You're not…angry?"

Len stared at his best friend for a good long moment. Was Oliver really worried about his promise to him, the one Len had overheard as Oliver made that solemn oath over his grave? Len applied some more pressure on the wound, hoping it would be some help, his other hand on Oliver's shoulder to steady him. He replied, "Of course I'm not. Just focus on staying alive, okay? Then we can go catch the bastard who took Rin, together."

Oliver's lips twitched upwards slightly, like he was attempting to smile. He mumbled, "You're always so nice."

"I'm not. I got myself killed. I know that must've been my fault, and now I've caused all of you so much trouble. This is the least I can do," Len defended himself. He had caused enough harm to everyone. It was just a feeling, but Rin must have gotten abducted because of something involving him. Oliver had probably been shot for the same reason. He'd probably hurt Kaito by accusing him the day of his death, even though he was clearly still coping with Meiko's death. IA and Gumi, while they hadn't been the best of buds, he couldn't help wondering what they must have felt. And then there was Piko. From Miku's recent encounter with him, Len was too afraid to wonder if his death had triggered another of Piko's "killing sprees." He was anything but nice.

"Not true," Oliver replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. "Rin would be happy… to see you."

Len didn't reply. Oliver's skin was looking really pale by now, though the blood loss had somewhat slowed. Len left momentarily to get a blanket, throwing it over Oliver's body.

"About Rin…" Oliver trailed off, his eyes looking ahead now, somewhat unfocused.

"Did something happen?" Len asked, suddenly afraid he was going to say something that revealed his worst fears.

"Piko…she knows…" Oliver mumbled, his voice hollow.

"Don't talk, Oliver. Just relax. The medics will be here soon," Len suggested, trying to keep Oliver with him, though part of him was feeling frantic. If Rin had known about Piko, why hadn't she said anything at all?"

Oliver muttered something under his breath, so faint that Len almost wondered if he had misheard him. His heart sank like a stone as the words entered his brain, registering for the first and final time.

"I see," Len mumbled. "Well, it's Rin's decision. Not that I can do anything about it."

Something resembling a chuckle escaped from Oliver. He said, "You and Miku…you work well together too."

"W-what? Where's that from?" Len stammered, heat flushing to his face.

"You've learned so much about this case together," Oliver replied. "You guys would've made a great pair if you were alive, Len. I know it."

A shadow seemed to fall over Len's eyes. His hands clenched tightly together for a moment before they relaxed. He muttered, "Maybe if I was alive, maybe, but I'm living in a different world from you guys now. I can't do anything for any of you."

"You're helping me now right?" Oliver asked, slowly glancing over at Len's sullen expression.

"But…that's only thanks to IA," Len replied.

"Then she must have known this might happen. IA has lots of special powers after all," Oliver said with a smile.

The house fell silent for a moment. Only the sound of pounding rain outside could be heard, like a drumroll for some nearing event. Len lowered his head and wondered how Miku was doing, if she'd caught the culprit. He hoped that Rin was safe, that Miku was safe too. He didn't know what to do if either of them got hurt.

"Oliver, you said you knew who took Rin, right?" Len asked in a low voice.

Oliver took a while to respond. Slightly hesitant, he replied, "I...I thought I knew. But the person I thought of, he wouldn't shoot me. I know he wouldn't. The motive, it must be different, something I hadn't thought of."

"Motive…" Len repeated, sinking back into his thoughts. Suddenly, he thought of the case that he'd been solving together with Oliver and IA. He asked, "Hey, Oliver, why do you think we were asked to take the case on Meiko's death?"

"Hmm? Because someone wanted Kaito to get blamed?" Oliver suggested, turning his head to one side, his eyes half closed.

Blame. Kaito wouldn't have been in much trouble had he confessed at the start, and yet if Len had decided to expose Kaito, his reputation as a detective would most definitely have been sullied. Had that been the real motive of that woman?

Oliver suddenly winced as Len absentmindedly pressed down harder on his wound. He mumbled, "That hurts you know, Len."

"Sorry, but we have to try to stop the bleeding until the medics get here. Just endure it for a while, okay?" Len replied, fixing Oliver with a determined look.

Oliver fell silent, a serious look settling on his face. He said, "I still can't believe you're actually here in living flesh."

"Me neither, but don't talk if it hurts," Len said, noticing the trickle of blood that was starting to seep out of Oliver's mouth.

"I was really upset when you died," Oliver continued. "I…I felt really bad for what happened earlier that day."

"Why are you talking about this now?" Len asked. "I'm not blaming you for anything. The past is the past. We should be focusing on what will happen here on out."

Oliver sighed and closed his eyes, a hint of smile on his face. He said, "I'm really happy I got to see you again, Len. I never said sorry for what I did to you that day."

"Then you can apologize by staying alive," Len tartly replied, biting his lip. He wanted Oliver to stop talking. He looked like he was already in so much pain that talking was probably just worsening his condition.

Oliver made an attempt to shake his head, but it only made him cringe. He said, "I should've known better than to call you crazy. I was just so… upset, I guess, that you were thinking of exposing Kaito, even though he was still so hurt from Meiko's death."

"I don't blame you. I just hope that I'd managed to reach a good conclusion before I died," Len replied.

"You should go see Kaito," Oliver said. "He doesn't show it, but he's still broken up over you and Meiko."

"I'm worth as much as his girlfriend to him?" Len half heartedly joked.

Oliver chuckled and said, "Yeah. He can help you find Rin. I just wish I could've been more help."

"You've helped enough already, Oliver," Len reassured him.

Oliver glanced over at Len, his clear blue right eye almost searching for a real answer in Len's face. He asked, "Really?"

"Yeah," Len replied. He couldn't say it, but his conversation with Oliver had sparked an idea in his head. If he could find Miku and Kaito, if they agreed with him, then the culprit had to be—

"I'm glad I finally got be some help," Oliver mumbled, his voice raspy. "You guys were always taking care of me, you and Rin. You don't know how glad I am to have met the two of you."

Len cast Oliver a curious look. He asked, "Oliver, you're acting really strange, you know that? Should I get you another blanket?"

"No," Oliver mumbled as his eyes started to close. "I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you guys have done for me. Tell that to Rin for me, will you?"

His head tilted slightly to the side. Len felt Oliver's body relax under his grip on his shoulder. Almost afraid, Len shook Oliver's shoulder, calling out, "Oliver?"

There was no response. Oliver's skin seemed to be getting paler as his mouth hung slightly open. Len's hand griped Oliver's shoulder harder as he stammered, "Oliver, this isn't funny. You wanted to say thanks to Rin, right? Then get up and tell her yourself! You're not going to give up this easily, are you, Oliver? Oliver!"

"Sir, we'll take it from here," a man said, pushing Len back from the scene. Len hadn't even heard the medics get here. He unconsciously stumbled back a few steps, watching as the medics set to work, treating Oliver's wound and starting CPR. His hand was shaking as he watched Oliver, his face serenely peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

Len slipped out of the house without another word, slipping on his jacket and returning the pouch to his pocket. It was still pouring outside, but Len didn't care. If water could hurt him, then so be it. He took to the air and started off in the direction of Kaito's home, silently making an oath to himself.

The person who harmed Oliver was going to pay, and Len was going to be sure of that.

* * *

**A/N: Before anyone starts shooting me, keep in mind I haven't actually said that Oliver died. I still couldn't decide so I left it on that ominous note. But I guess I still deserve to be shot, huh…..**

**Anyways, next up will be Miku chasing Piko! I admit, it was interesting to see that I've convinced most of you guys that Piko's guilty (cough cough). I mean, he's still probably guilty of something. I also thought up of a tiny little secret that was really random but I'll stick with it.**

**Hope you liked the chapter and thanks for reading! So far I've gotten more votes for Oliver living, but I'll leave the final decision till later. Thanks for all the support!**


	15. The Confession

The pouring rain made it hard to see, even in the afternoon. Miku had to squint her eyes, pushing her legs forward after Piko, who was running faster and faster by the second. They were running along the sidewalk. The lack of cars cruising through the streets just seemed to boost Piko's confidence as he suddenly changed gears, racing across the street.

"Hey! Get back here!" Miku shouted, quickly following Piko. Thankfully, no cars came rushing by, but Piko still didn't stop. He didn't even turn back once to glance at her, as if he wasn't scared at all.

Miku felt her legs start to tire. She wanted to take a rest so badly, but she knew she couldn't stop. She had to find where Rin was. She had to know what Piko was planning to do.

A light bulb went off in her head. Clumsily, she reached for her pocket and grabbed a handful of the tealeaves IA had given her before sticking it in her mouth. Almost immediately, she felt the fatigue in her legs go away, giving her a fresh burst as she chased after Piko. The gap was starting to close. Miku's pigtails were clinging to her soaked clothes by now, dragging her down, but she couldn't give up now. Not when he was so close.

Just as Piko was about to turn the corner, Miku made a flying leap and successfully crushed Piko under her. He let out a cry of pain as he hit the ground with a thud, just barely catching himself with his hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" Piko almost screamed as he tried to struggle out of Miku's grip.

"I'll let you up if you promise not to run away and answer my questions," Miku said threateningly, glaring down out Piko, who was snarling at her.

"I don't have time for that!" Piko shouted back through the rain before suffering a coughing fit. As much as Miku didn't want to, she slowly got off Piko's back, but only after making sure she had a firm grip on his wrist. She didn't want to kill Piko. Not yet.

"And where were you trying to go? Trying to make amends before you go to prison for harming Oliver?" Miku demanded, careful not to say the word "killed."

"I didn't shoot him! It was Rin's kidnapper! I was chasing them! They're going to get away, so let me go!" Piko hissed.

"And you don't care about what might happen to Oliver?" Miku shot back.

Piko looked taken aback, but he quickly found his hardened glare again. He snarled, "Shouldn't you understand, Miku-san? I thought that was your style, to not care about what happened in the investigation until you caught the culprit."

Miku's eyes widened for one second at the mention of her. Piko tried to twist out of her grip, but she just clenched her hand tighter around his bony wrist. It was true, what Piko had said. Before, she had been apathetic to how people felt and only concentrated on delivering justice to the criminals. But this time, she wondered why it was different. Somehow, just somehow, she'd become more attached to this case then she should have. Was it because of Kaito, who seemed to be involved in this case? Was it because it was the strangest case she'd had so far? Or was it something else?

A face flashed in her mind. She could still remember the unfaltering determination in those blue eyes as he told her to go, leaving the task of saving his sister to her. He seemed so distant sometimes, and yet he was so full of energy, more than even Miku had. He still cared so much for the people he'd once loved, even leaving a place for Piko despite his stubborn retorts that he was done with him. Maybe that had been why Miku found herself more attached to all the people she'd met throughout the case. There were kind people and strange ones, including Piko, who she almost wished she didn't have to deal with. And yet Miku couldn't let Piko have his way. It was like Len had influenced her in some way, showing her how to sympathize with people, maybe even how to love.

Miku gritted her teeth together and finally replied, "That was the past. I do things a new way now. But I have a question for you then, Piko. Last time we met, you swore to revenge Len, so what does Rin have to do with this then?"

Miku felt Piko's wrist stiffen slightly at Rin's name. He stammered, "N-nothing! Whoever took Rin probably killed Len too, so I was chasing them!"

Miku could see the relation between that. Maybe it was someone who hated the Kagamines. Maybe it was like Oliver thought, that someone had been trying to sabotage Kaito and took it out on Len instead when the plan failed. They could be trying to do the same to Miku for all she knew. Still, when those words came out from Piko's mouth, something didn't sound right.

"You're lying," Miku said. "If you really thought that that was the truth, you wouldn't have looked so nervous. Besides, the kidnapper might not be related to the case."

"That's not true!" Piko hissed, biting his lip as he looked frantically around.

"How are you so sure?" Miku pressed on, knowing she had Piko caught. When he couldn't answer, she said, "Admit it, Piko. This has to do with Rin, doesn't it?"

"W-what would make you say that?" Piko stubbornly defended himself.

"If you think Rin's the one who killed Len, then you're wrong. She doesn't have motive. She's more innocent than you are right now, Piko," Miku stated. "So what is your relationship with Rin?"

Piko glowered back at Miku's determined gaze, even though his whole body seemed to be trembling. Suddenly, he wrenched his wrist out of Miku's grip, but before she could catch him, he turned away from Miku, his head bowed in silent defeat. Miku waited silently. Somehow, she knew Piko wasn't going to try to run for it. The rain was still pounding down on the two of them, drowning out all other sound as the world fell still. There was no one out in the stormy weather, no one but them. Time was short, but Miku decided that she was going to hear Piko out, just to decide his position in this case.

Piko's fists clenched tighter. Miku tensed, waiting, as Piko finally mumbled, "Rin is… we…"

He gnashed his teeth together and burst out, "I'm her boyfriend!"

Miku stared at Piko, her eyes slowly widening in shock. Never in her life would she have expected to here those three words, especially from Piko. She just opened and closed her mouth several times, unsure of what to say.

"Now you know why I have to hurry?" Piko snapped, his face burning red even under the dark light.

"Oh, uh, well, isn't it a bit too late to chase after them now?" Miku asked, suddenly feeling guilty. If she hadn't stopped Piko, he might've been able to save Rin. Then again, who knew what would happen to the kidnapper?

Piko let out a growl of frustration as he collapsed on the bench outside the closed shop, a hand pressed to his forehead. His voice almost cracked as he growled, "Now what am I going to do?"

Miku fell silent. She guessed she'd thought wrongly about Piko before. Not knowing what else to do, she asked, "Did Len know about…this?"

Piko shook his head. He replied, "I stopped talking to him before we could say anything. Rin, she's more observant that Len thought. She caught me watching the house once when Len and the others were out on a case, since Len always asked me to make sure their house was safe. She wasn't even angry when she found out about Len's detective group. She said she was glad Len was living his own life and asked me to look out for him. I failed her once already. I won't lose Rin too, especially if the kidnapper was the one who killed Len."

Miku fell silent. She was truly at loss for words now as she just stood there, looking away from Piko's depressed position. If only she had a distraction…

Almost as if on cue, Miku's cellphone suddenly started ringing. She eased it out of her wet jean pocket. It was almost a miracle that it was still working. The number surprised her more. Cautiously, she answered the phone and asked, "Uh, do you need something, Kaito?"

"Miku, did you get Piko?"

Miku blinked several times before she stammered, "Uh, yeah. He's here. How do you have Kaito's phone?"

"Long story. Just come over to his house with him. We know how to find Rin," Len replied, his voice brisk and hurried.

"Ok. See you there then," Miku replied, hanging up the phone. She felt the urgency in Len's tone, so she decided it was best to move fast. Without a moment of hesitation, she dragged Piko off the bench and started running off towards Kaito's house, which thankfully was near where they were compared to the agency, which was on the other side of town. She didn't know what Kaito had to do with this, but it didn't matter right now. There was only one thing on her mind, on Len's and Piko's, and maybe Kaito's too.

_They were going to save Rin, and the bastard who caused all this was going down._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the somewhat pathetic ending of this chapter…. -_-;**

**So, the PikoxRin pairing was completely random… I hope no one will hate me for it.**

**Otherwise, thanks for reading! I couldn't have gotten this far without all the support I've received. Really hope you guys have enjoyed the story so far! **


	16. The Breakthrough

When Kaito had answered the door, he'd been expecting a late mail delivery. Or maybe some old friend over. And by old, he meant _living_friends that he hadn't seen in a long time.

Instead, he was faced with the little mystery-loving brat, his blue eyes still shining ever so determinedly behind his yellow bangs. Kaito blinked twice as his mind started to register the scene before him, and he slammed the door back shut immediately.

"Hey! Kaito! Open the door!" Len shouted, his voice muffled as he pounded on the door.

"If that's you, Rin, this is a sick joke! If you're not Rin, then leave and go to hell!" Kaito shouted, trying to shake the vision from his brain. He'd looked exactly like Len, so much that it might've been a ghost.

"It's me, Len! I'll explain everything later! Just open the door!"

"I'm not letting a zombie in my house either!" Kaito shouted back. It was definitely a ghost or maybe a zombie outside, the embodiment of Len's dead soul. Just what did Len have against him?

The pounding finally stopped. Kaito immediately tensed, wondering just what the creep was planning. Suddenly, Len appeared before him, shaking the water out of his head as he put on some charm. It took all of Kaito's will not to scream in horror.

"Kaito, relax! I'm not here to haunt you or something," Len replied, a defeated sigh escaping from his lips.

"Then what are you? What do you want?" Kaito stammered.

Len started scratching his head furiously. He hurriedly said, "We don't have much time for this, but I'm really Len. I asked Miku to help solve my murder case, but now Rin's been abducted. Oliver said you'd help. So can you?"

Kaito stared back at Len trying to process everything. He suddenly remembered how Miku had shouted at him, claiming Len himself had asked her to take his case. It sorta made sense now, if Len was really a ghost. But still…

"What did you promise me that day we met in the café?" Kaito suddenly asked.

"Why's that important?" Len asked. Kaito could here the urgent tone in his voice, but Kaito needed reassurance first. He had to know if it was actually Len or not.

"Just answer the question. Your answer decides your fate," Kaito said.

Len ground his teeth together. He glanced away before saying, "I don't remember."

Kaito's eyes narrowed as he said, "So you're not Len."

"No, I am! I just…I don't remember anything that happened that day!" Len exclaimed, exasperated. He didn't have time for this. Oliver's life was hanging on the line. Rin was missing. He didn't even know if Miku had managed to catch the kidnapper or not. He had to make Kaito believe in him.

Kaito was studying Len closely now, watching as his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. He asked, "Fine then. If you're not actually Len, then you wouldn't mind if I tell Miku Len's little secret, right?"

Len turned bright red. He stammered, "Y-you wouldn't! You swore to God you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Kaito managed a faint chuckle. It was Len all right. As hard as it was to believe, only Len would get flustered at the mention of his little secret. Kaito sighed and said, "I got it. I'll believe you're real. You said Rin was abducted?"

Len let out a sigh of relief and nodded. Kaito went into the bathroom and threw Len a towel. He said, "Well, let's figure that out first. I'll find out how you're actually here later."

Len felt himself grin. It'd been a long time since Kaito had helped him with a case. They used to gather here, him, Oliver and IA, and ask Kaito's opinion for stuff. He was a good detective, Len had to admit. Almost better than Miku. It was a nostalgic feeling to solve cases with Kaito, but somehow it made him feel guiltier for leaving Kaito with a bad memory before his own death.

"Hey, Kaito, about that day at the café," Len started, following him into the living room that smelled of vanilla.

"Don't worry about it. I try not to hold grudges," Kaito said with a smile. "Besides, Rin's the priority right now, right?"

Len was a bit surprised to hear Kaito say those words, but he had to smile as he nodded and said, "Yeah."

"So let's brainstorm for a bit. What benefit does the kidnapper get for taking Rin?" Kaito asked.

Len furrowed his brow together, muttering, "There isn't a benefit. They… shot Oliver, so they couldn't have been looking for ransom."

"What? Oliver was shot?" Kaito shouted, leaping to his feet.

"He'll be fine. I know he'll be fine," Len determinedly replied back. "Miku ran after the shooter."

Kaito sank back onto the couch. He put a hand to his forehead, massaging it. He muttered, "Oh great, this just get's better and better."

"What does?"

"First Rin, then Oliver. The kid Miku went chasing after, he didn't have silver hair, did he?" Kaito asked.

"I'm not sure, but maybe," Len replied. His eyes suddenly widened as he gasped, "You're not saying Piko—"

"No, of course not!" Kaito cut in. "It's just Piko always visits Rin at this hour, that's all."

"What? How do you know about that too?" Len snapped, shooting off the seat.

"I'm her big trustworthy brother," Kaito taunted, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Did Oliver end up telling you?"

Len fell sullen at the mention of Oliver. He wondered just how his best friend was holding up. He really should be there with Oliver in the hospital, but he couldn't go without knowing Rin was safe.

"Never mind then," Kaito said, moving on. "Back to the point. Don't you think there must be some connection?"

"Between all of our cases?" Len asked. There was Meiko's case, his own murder, Miku taking on his case, Rin's abduction, and the shooting of Oliver. What did they all have in common?

Len had been involved in some way with all of them, but Meiko's case seemed to be centered more around Kaito than himself. Miku must somehow be involved as well, but Len couldn't see the connection.

"Well let's put it this way. I admit I am partly guilty in Meiko's death," Kaito said, his voice cracking slightly when he said her name, "but Meiko didn't have a cousin as far as I knew. There most definitely had been no one but her sister in the house the day she died either."

"So the cousin was a fake, trying to put dirt on you," Len concluded.

"Did Miku learn anything about your death?"

"Mostly just the fact that I was drowned, most likely by someone I knew," Len answered truthfully, remembering the time when Miku had suddenly collapsed.

"And who knew about her investigation?"

"Just the people we investigated. Oliver, Rin, Piko, IA, and I think Gumi," Len said. "By the way, how did you know about this?"

"Miku told me and Luka the other day," Kaito said, sinking into deep thought. Len furrowed his brows at the name "Luka." It sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place a finger on it. He guessed she was another detective in the agency.

"There must be some motive behind all this," Kaito muttered to himself, scratching his head furiously.

Len stared thoughtfully out the window. It was still pouring outside, just like that day last year, when he'd been kidnapped by the pink haired duo. Suddenly a thought hit him. He wondered aloud, "What if it's for revenge?"

When Kaito sent him a confused look, Len explained, "Kaito, you helped Miku when she caught the Vanderson kidnappers last year, right?"

"Yeah, I think it was all over the news," Kaito replied when his eyes suddenly widened. He exclaimed, "Len! You're a genius!"

"But I haven't said anything yet," Len said, raising an eyebrow, even though he knew Kaito had understood what he'd just been thinking.

"I almost forgot, but Miku claimed it was a four person operation, right? The two that weren't caught, they could be out for revenge for their partners. That's what you were thinking, right?" Kaito answered excitedly, a wild glint in his eyes.

Len nodded and replied, "It'd make sense. They must've known your relationship with Meiko and used it thinking I'd expose you. I didn't, and somehow that led to my murder. Then when Miku got involved, they must've been afraid they'd be exposed and used the chance to try and sabotage the case."

"But why not try to harm Miku?" Kaito voiced his thoughts out loud.

Len shrugged and said, "She's a tough person. She might've been more than they could handle."

"I should've known you were going to say that, knowing you," Kaito laughed. Before Len could flare up in anger and slight embarrassment, Kaito continued, "Piko might be in danger too. It couldn't have been a coincidence that they took Rin when Piko was going to visit her."

Len nodded. He glanced around and asked, "Can I borrow your phone? I'll get Miku to come over here. She might've gotten Piko by now too. Four brains work better than two, right?"

Kaito nodded. It was sometimes hard to remember Piko was a detective too, a good one at that. If the four of them worked together, the kidnappers' nest would be found in a second.

It wouldn't be long before everything was brought to light. There was nothing stopping them from discovering the truth now.

* * *

**A/N: Finally some progress, though I'll admit, this was thought up on the spur of the moment.**

**So this week and the next will be crazy with homework, so my uploading schedule's been sabotaged…. ;_;  
****Hopefully the next chapter will be up by the weekend before I start to work for real!**

**Thanks for reading! A million thanks to everyone's who's reviewed, favorited, or followed this story too!**


	17. The Filler (but not actually)

It was the middle of spring, the time when trees started to go into full bloom, when flowers started to sprout from the earth. Miku was walking along the sidewalk, staring down at a list of supplies that she had to buy for the agency.

"Two tubs of vanilla ice cream, leeks, curry, beef, ten pads of paper, six rolls of duck tape," she absentmindedly muttered under her breath. Luka had asked for that last part, winking at Miku as she whispered, "You know, for Kaito."

Miku knew what Luka must've been thinking. There really were times when Kaito deserved to be bound with duck tape just to shut him up.

She came out of the supermarket twenty minutes later, her arms sore from the weight of the ice cream. She kept her complaints to herself as she walked through the streets, passing by a park. The sound of crying met her ears. She glanced over to see a young girl kneeling on the ground, bawling like a baby as she wiped her eyes. The park was empty except for the two of them, Miku and the white haired girl who didn't seem afraid of being seen in the state she was.

Miku hesitated before walking over to the girl. She looked a little older than Miku, her white hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed in a simple gray dress. Miku knelt down next to her and asked, "Hey, are you all right?"

The girl's bawling stifled a bit as she glanced up at Miku. She stammered, "I…I'm sorry! I was being a nuisance, wasn't I?"

"No, no," Miku reassured her quickly. "It's just you don't normally see teenagers crying in public. Did something bad happen?"

The girl's eyes started watering again. "I…I… Someone, he died, I saw him die!" she stammered before breaking into another wave of tears.

Miku just sat there in silence, watching her. She felt like she could understand her pain, the horror of watching a person dying in front of you. Sometimes, she still had nightmares about her older brother, killed right in front of her, run over by a drunk driver. That'd been six years ago, and since then, Miku had done her best to help others after she'd been scouted by the agency, solving crimes and keeping innocent people safe.

"What's your name?" Miku asked quietly.

"Y-Yowane Haku. I'm so sorry! I must be burdening you!" Haku wailed.

"No, I want to help you. I'm Hatsune Miku. You can tell me everything if that'll make you feel better," Miku replied calmly, staring intently at the other's eyes.

Haku's crying stifled a bit. She asked, "You're not going to hurt me?"

"No, I promise. I only want to help you."

Haku gulped down a big breath of air and started to wipe her eyes. She looked down at her shaking hands and said, "I'm so sorry. I just…it was so cruel."

"What happened?"

"I didn't even know the man. He was so nice, though, calming the three of us down even in the situation. He…he shouldn't have been killed like that!" Haku burst out, her hands trembling, her eyes mixed with sorrow and anger.

"What situation were you in?" Miku asked, a little curious.

Haku fell silent before slowly replying, "I think I was kidnapped. But I don't know how I got here. I just suddenly thought of the man and it was just too terrible."

"Kidnapped?" Miku exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. It had to be a coincidence, right? That they both had happened to be kidnapped?

Haku nodded and said, "I was walking home like usual, past this park, and then suddenly, there, there were these two people who jumped out and threw something over me. The next thing I knew, I was tied up, and there were three other people beside me. One was that man, and there were two boys too."

Miku stared at Haku, a bad feeling settling in her heart. She asked, "That man…he wouldn't happen to have brown hair and glasses, would he?"

Haku looked surprised. She asked, "How did you know?"

Miku felt her heart turn to stone. Two days ago, Yuki had run to the agency, crying as she clutched a ransom note demanding 100,000 dollars for her father's safe return. Kiyoteru was one of the agency's best detectives. They were flabbergasted that Kiyoteru could get caught, but they had set to work anyways, preparing to save their friend. If what Haku just said was true…

Miku slowly clenched her fists together, trying to calm the wave of emotions threatening to take over her. Haku was the key to the investigation, Miku realized. If she could look into the case further, Miku knew she could find the truth. Slowly, she looked into Haku's eyes and said, "Do you know anything else about the kidnappers?"

"I… I'm sorry. I only know that there was one man and woman, and they both had pink hair," Haku replied, her eyes wavering under Miku's harsh stare.

"Then how did you escape?"

"I-I didn't."

"What?" Miku asked, confused?

"I didn't. I found myself here suddenly. I don't know how I got here," Haku replied shakily.

Miku stared blankly at her. Did the kidnappers collect the ransom and bring Haku here? But then where were her parents? They should 've known about the place of the tradeoff.

"What's the last thing you remember then?" Miku asked.

"I…they h-had just k-killed him. He was trying to protect the three of us, and then two more people came. They started arguing, especially when one of them saw the brown haired man. That's when…the kidnapper, he suddenly started attacking the man and…" Haku burst into another wave of tears, her entire body trembling in terror.

Miku just sat there watching, wondering what she should do. Finally, an idea hit her. Reaching into the plastic shopping bag, she took out a tub of ice cream, undid the lid and fished a plastic spoon out of the bag. _Good thing I got those spoons,_ Miku thought as she held the ice cream out to Haku, who stopped her tears to stare at Miku.

"Here, have it. Ice cream makes everything seem better, right?" Miku offered.

"But…it's for someone, isn't it?"

"Don't worry. Kaito has a big heart. He won't mind," Miku replied. Inside, she knew that wasn't the whole reason though. Who asked Kaito to not get his own food?

Slowly, Haku reached out for the ice cream. Miku set the tub gently in her outstretched hands and let go.

The tub of ice cream fell right through her hands, landing on the ground with a thump. The two of stared blankly at the ice cream before looking up at each other.

"You're a ghost," Miku said absentmindedly.

"I'm… Am I dead?" Haku asked nervously.

"You didn't know?"

She shook her head, tears starting to well in her eyes again. "I only remember seeing him get killed."

They sat in silence for a while. Miku still didn't know how she hadn't noticed that Haku was a ghost. Ever since she was a kid, she could see the spirits of the dead. Her mother had called it a special gift, even when her classmates at school thought otherwise. Miku guessed it was a gift. Her mother had once told her that ghosts were the spirits of people who had a wish to fulfill or a promise to keep. Miku was always happy to help them.

Suddenly Haku gasped, "Those two boys, they might still be in there with the four kidnappers! What, what will happen to them?"

"You're not worried that you're dead?" Miku asked.

Haku gulped and said, "I…I'm scared. But, I can't let it get in the way. If I'm really dead, I can't change that fact, even if it's terrifying. But if those two boys get hurt or… I can't let that happen! I made a promise to myself. The man died protecting us. I want to make sure that his efforts weren't in vain."

Miku stared at Haku's determined eyes, overcome with awe. Even after death, to think Haku could have such a strong will to keep her own promise, to protect two people she didn't even know, Miku couldn't help admiring her. She decided that it was only right to help Haku.

Miku returned her determined gaze and said, "Then I'll help you. I was going to go after the criminals too. We'll save the others. It's a promise."

Haku smiled for the first time since Miku had met her. Death had somehow made Haku a stronger person. Miku wished she could be like that, to learn to overcome one's worst fears. Miku only temporarily cast away her emotions when dealing with a case, just to escape from any emotional trauma it might cause her. Kiyoteru's death was just like that. No matter how heartbreaking the news was, she'd have to pull through just to avenge him.

Miku took in a deep breath. She reached for her phone and called Kaito. He was probably the next best detective after Kiyoteru, not to mention that they were good friends. Kaito would definitely help.

"Miku! What's taking you so long?" Kaito whined the moment he picked up the phone.

Miku didn't answer. Instead she just said, "Town park, now. It's time to start the hunt."

And she hung up.

* * *

**A/N: So… I got too lazy to finish the chapter I was working on :P**

** Decided I might as well make a filler for the case that Miku solved before, since it ended up being relevant, though calling it a "filler" might be doing it an injustice. It got so long and complicated that now it's getting a part two…**

**Special thanks to japaneserockergirl for the suggestion! Though I know it's probably not exactly what you were talking about, but close enough? (^_^;)**

**Thanks for reading! A thousand thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows! Hope you liked the chapter!**


	18. The Filler (but not actually) Part 2

"So, do you remember anything about the place that you being held in?" Miku asked, glancing around the street as Haku followed her.

Haku furrowed her eyebrows together and said, "It…it was a big, airy place. Tan, cracked walls, the ceiling held up by beams. There weren't a lot of things inside, but there were some taped boxes. The tape was pink."

"Is that important?" Miku asked curiously. Kidnappers that used pink tape… Strange.

"No, I guess not. It's just that I saw the tape in your bag, so I thought of it," Haku said, glancing at the items still in Miku's shopping bag.

"Oh," was the reply as Miku glanced at her bag. The pink tape for Luka was still there, jangling along with the other groceries. It was heavy.

"Can you think of anything else about the kidnappers?" Miku asked.

Haku's eyes narrowed as she thought about what might've happened. Suddenly, she gasped, "Pink hair!"

"What?" Miku raised her eyebrows. What else was wrong with pink?

"When the kidnapper was, was…" Haku took in a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "The silver haired boy had already fainted, and the blonde one looked really scared, so I tried to move over to shield him from the view. That's when the kidnapper's hood fell off, and he had bright pink hair. One of the girls shouted, 'Nii-san, you idiot!' and I caught a glimpse of her hair color too."

"Pink," Miku repeated dully, sinking into thought. And here she was thinking pink had been a nice color.

* * *

"The Vanderson twins," Kaito blurted out the moment Miku told him about the pink hair.

"Who are they?" Miku asked, confused.

"Yuuma and Mizki Vanderson. They live by themselves across the street from my house," Kaito explained. "They're always snooping around the area like they're up to no good, and they have really pink hair." He paused and asked, "You don't think two college dropouts could really pull off a kidnapping operation, could they?"

Miku glanced over at Haku, who looked really nervous. She replied, "Well, it's worth a try, isn't it? Besides, there were four kidnappers. They might not be the actual mastermind. You know if they have some secret hiding place or something? Maybe a garage like place?"

Kaito sank into deep thought. He considered all the possible places around his house that resembled a storage place. Whether those twins were actually the kidnappers or not wasn't important, but if they were, they'd most definitely want a base close to home.

He suddenly grinned like a Cheshire Cat, looking like he was really pleased with himself.

"What now?" Miku asked, her voice annoyed.

"The perfect hiding spot," Kaito said with a smirk. "I've found it."

* * *

Coleman Elementary School had to be the creepiest place Miku had ever seen. It'd been abandoned for more than twenty years, closed down after the headmaster's death. Miku could almost imagine ghosts haunting the place, wandering around the site. No one in their right mind would come here, making it the perfect base for criminals. It was hard to believe no one had thought of looking here before.

"It's the perfect place, isn't it?" Kaito grinned, climbing through a broken window, his feet dropping onto the floor with a dull thud.

"You idiot!" Miku hissed, following Kaito. "Keep it down, will you? What if there's actually someone hiding in here?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kaito replied in a lower tone, waving her off as they moved through the halls.

"Um, shouldn't you get some support to back you up, in case they're actually here?" Haku whispered, close behind Miku.

"Don't worry," Miku whispered back. "If they're really here, I'm not going to let anything stop me from catching them. And you don't need to whisper either."

"Oh, right," Haku said, though her voice was still shy and timid.

"Talking to your imaginary friends again?" Kaito asked, laughing to himself.

"Shut up," Miku muttered.

A loud crash reverberated through the walls, making the three of them jump. She exchanged a worried glance with Kaito. Without a word, they slipped off their shoes and ran through the halls towards the source of the noise, their footsteps muffled by their socks.

They found themselves facing double doors leading to what was labeled "Gym." Miku glanced over at Haku, who looked extremely nervous. She guessed a gym was large enough to look like a big storage garage. Miku could almost feel that this was the right place.

There were muffled voices on the other side of the door. Both Miku and Kaito pressed their ears against the door, trying to catch pieces of the conversation.

"Damn it, Mizki! What are you doing?" someone shouted.

"It was heavy!" a girl whined. "Besides, Nii-san, you just had to kill that girl, huh?"

"She saw what I looked like! It's for our own protection!" a boy's voice hissed back.

The argument was continuing, building up into a furious debate. Miku locked eyes with Kaito. They needed a way to sneak in.

"Hey, Haku," Miku whispered. "You think you can go in and tell us what's happening? We need to know what's going on in inside."

Haku nodded bravely and headed for the door, floating right through the wall. Kaito hissed, "Just who do you keep talking to?"

"A friend who's helping us," Miku replied vaguely back. She was about to jab a finger into Kaito's shoulder for rolling his eyes when a shriek echoed through the room.

Haku appeared a second later, her face whiter than a bed sheet.

"Hey, what happened?" Miku hissed just as someone inside the gym said the same.

Haku stammered, "I…I think someone saw me."

"She was there. I swear to God I saw her!" someone's terrified voice stammered on the other side.

"It's okay. Just tell us what happened, quick!" Miku hurriedly demanded, dragging Kaito up to his feet. They needed to get out and hide. Who knew what might happen now?

"The four of them were moving boxes when the smallest of them saw me. I didn't see the two boys anywhere. They're still safe, right?" Haku asked worriedly, hurrying behind them.

"They are. You have to believe it," Miku replied, slipping into the nearest classroom, Kaito close behind her.

Footsteps echoed through the halls, storming past them. An older female's voice hissed, "I thought you said she wouldn't exist after she died! What if someone who could see her found her?"

"I said she shouldn't remember anything about this if she suffered a violent death! She shouldn't know about this place!" a younger girl's voice defended as they raced off in a different direction.

Kaito glanced at Miku and asked, "What was that about?"

Miku was deep in thought. For some reason, that first voice sounded vaguely familiar. Ignoring that, it was obvious that younger girl knew about the spiritual world, though from her words, Miku couldn't imagine what torture Haku must have gone through. She cast Haku a slightly worried glance and said, "Anything come to mind?"

Haku bit her lip and said, "I still don't know how I got to the park, but the last thing I remember is being dragged away from the two boys and the younger one said that if I died a violent death, I wouldn't remember anything that happened the day before my death. I'm almost glad that I don't remember."

"But you do remember about the kidnapping," Miku mumbled, sinking into her thoughts. Suddenly, it hit her. She deduced, "So somehow, they must've killed you and hidden you in the park, but they hadn't known you were still alive. You must've died almost a day after they thought you were dead."

"I guess," Haku mumbled back.

"Come on," Miku whispered. "Let's go see if the coast is clear. There should only be two people left in the gym now."

Kaito nodded and went out first. He motioned for Miku to follow and they slipped back to the gym door. With a deep breath, they burst through the doors.

"What the—?" the boy never finished his sentence as Kaito ran into him, wrestling him to the ground. Miku aimed a kick at the second kidnapper, catching her right on the side of the neck. She gasped and collapsed onto the floor, unconscious.

"Mizki!" the boy shouted, trying to wrench himself from Kaito's grip.

"Give up," Kaito threatened as he covered Yuuma's mouth before he could scream for the others. "We know what you've done."

Miku remembered the bag of grocery's she'd left in the other room. She went and retrieved it, using the duck tape to tie the kidnappers up. The boy glared at Miku and hissed, "You won't get away with this."

"And neither will you," Miku replied, casting them a bored look as she taped the boy's mouth shut. She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around. It was as Haku had said. The boys were nowhere in sight; neither was Kiyoteru. There were only piles of boxes in the corner of the room, taped shut with pink tape. She walked over and knocked on some of them. They seemed heavy.

"Hey, is there anyone in here?" she asked, hoping that somehow they might respond.

Her ears caught a faint sound of someone struggling. Kaito threw her a box cutter and she slit the third box to her left open. A blonde boy tumbled out, his wrists and feet tied together with tape. She untied his wrists and he wrenched the tape off his mouth, wincing. He said, "The other two, they're here too."

Miku nodded and dug through the pile as Kaito helped the boy up onto his feet. He'd already bolted the door shut so they'd know when the other two came back.

Miku had found the other one, the silver haired boy, already. Only Kiyoteru was left. She suddenly wondered if she actually wanted to find Kiyoteru. Would he still be alive? Or could Haku be wrong? Miku gulped and slit open the last box.

"Oh my god," Kaito gasped, rushing up to Kiyoteru's crumpled figure. His face was badly bruised, his glasses nowhere to be found. Miku touched the side of his neck with a trembling hand, praying to God she'd find a pulse.

She felt a relieved smile appear on her face when she felt the faint pulsing in his neck.

* * *

It wasn't long before the police had flooded the place. The medics were there a second later, and Kaito hopped in the car to accompany Kiyoteru and the others. The police looked slightly amused to find the two kidnappers tied up in pink tape, though the boy, Yuuma, was still giving Miku death glares. His sister was still unconscious.

Reporters flooded the scene as the police tried to clear the place up. The other two partners had vanished without a trace. Miku doubted anyone would be able to find them. She answered the reporters' questions with a smile plastered onto her face, wondering why it was Kaito and not her inside the ambulance with the injured victims.

When the whole ordeal was finally over, Miku glanced over to find Haku still hovering near her, completely silent. She asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's just…thank you for saving them," Haku said, bowing her head to Miku.

"Don't worry about it. We wouldn't have solved this case without you," Miku replied with a smile. She was just happy the case was over and that the kidnappers would suffer their own punishment for their crimes.

"I wouldn't have been able to keep my promise without your help either. I'm really glad you found me there in the park, Miku," Haku replied, smiling.

Miku just smiled back. Already, Haku's body seemed to be glowing, vanishing into a shower of sparkles, just as all ghosts Miku had worked with before did. It was a sign that their wish had been granted.

"I hope you will find the other two kidnappers," Haku managed to say as she vanished, leaving behind nothing but a shimmering shower of white dust, flying away with the wind.

Miku stared after the sparkles. She smiled and said, "Yeah, I'll find them, Haku. Rest in peace."

* * *

When Miku returned home to the agency that day, Luka was in her room. Miku said hi and threw Luka her tape. She apologized for using some of it.

"Don't worry," Luka replied with a smile. Miku caught Luka quickly flipping down a picture frame that she'd been holding. For some reason, Luka looked really tired, almost upset.

"Is something wrong?" Miku asked.

"Nah," Luka smiled back. "I'm just tired. The client was really pushy today."

Miku nodded and retreated from the room. As she took the stairs up to her room, she couldn't help glancing back.

She was sure Luka didn't have a client that day.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was sorta rushed… My apologies…**

**Also, I know before some time somewhere in the past I said it was two brothers behind the kidnapping thing. Well, now it's siblings…  
Not that I have anything against Yuuma and Mizki, or pink hair either (NATSU!) of course. It's just… oh, never mind…**

**I've been writing too much this week… I need a rest :)**

**Thanks for reading! **


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